The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics (FBAE) at Notre Dame University-Louaize Shouf Campus (NDU-SC) organized on Thursday April 19, 2018, a workshop on Leadership titled, “Lead Yourself.” Guest speaker Michael Kouly is a World Bank fellow, senior international executive, journalist, author, and scholar, who lectures at several universities, including Harvard and Princeton in the U.S. He was a three-time CEO with 30 years of international corporate experience from working with global organizations, such as Reuters and Orbit in more than 20 countries. His hundreds of articles were translated into several languages and published in major newspapers around the world. Through an interactive and valuable three-hour session, Kouly imparted to the audience notable information about leadership skills.
Kouly began by identifying the core elements of leadership that constitute mobilizing, loving, taking responsibility, taking action, making use of opportunities, tolerating, dealing with uncertainty, and sacrificing. Leadership is also about helping people to discover their potentials and strengths, and teaching the techniques of how, where, and when to mobilize them. From humane perspective of leadership, Kouly said that leadership was also about engraving smiles on people’s faces and in their hearts and souls as well. A leader should always ensure the happiness and satisfaction of others and himself or herself. Leadership is a process of management that can metamorphosize a person from a seed into an enormous tree, full of life, intelligence and strength. A leader should be brave enough to act upon his or her spirit and morals regardless of the obstacles and should be spiritual enough to be able to sacrifice throughout the leadership journey. According to the “Kouly Model,” there are five key elements to achieve the ultimate purpose and extreme leadership:
1. Know yourself.
2. Know others and understand them.
3. Understand systems and strategies.
4. Know authority and understand it.
5. Acquire leadership skills.
In his workshop, Kouly also distinguishes between managers and leaders. First, leaders have visions by inspiring, motivating, and helping others while managers set goals to reach and achieve them, which are often measured by profit and/or productivity, Despite the fact that managers avoid change, leaders adapt, love, and work for change. Managers learn from each other, while leaders learn from their own visions and opinions. Leaders try to grow on their own by targeting long-term plans, while managers rely on existing skills and think of fulfilling short-term purposes. Leaders build relationships through motivating, teaching, and coaching others on how to think, speak, and act, while managers give orders through developed systems.
Faculty, staff, and students from various Faculties attended the workshop and provided positive feedback. The audience was captivated by Kouly’s interactive, distinctive, and memorable presentation. For his part, Kouly expressed his gratitude for being invited to the SC and thanked all those present for the warm welcome he received.