Iclif : The Future of Leadership | Michio Kaku
Channel: Iclif Executive Education Centre at ASB
Date: 2017-02-08

In this illuminating Iclif interview, renowned American theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku had fascinating insights to share about the future of leadership. 

He said some people think you have to be a born scientist or a born genius in order to do science. He doesn’t think so. Take a look at Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Some people say they are geniuses, it's in their genes. He dispels that myth.

First of all, Bill Gates did not discover or invent the PC. Neither did Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs went to Xerox PARC in Silicon Valley. And there it was, he saw somebody else working on the PC, the laser printer, the mouse, and the graphics interface, which is now Windows. And all of a sudden Steve Jobs said, that's the future. 

Now, here’s what happened to the Xerox PARC, they had everything. They had a Grand Slam. They invented the PC, the laser printer and the mouse. Yet, they didn't do anything with it. This is because they said, “Well, you can't copy paper, whereas in Xerox, we make paper copies.” As they couldn’t make paper copies with this PC thing, they did nothing. Steve Jobs took it and ran with it to create Apple, the biggest corporation on planet Earth. 

The lesson here is leadership is not genius. Leadership is having a clear vision of the future. This is where you need to bring forth the leadership energy, foresight and focus necessary to push through the bureaucracy and the naysayers. 

Same thing with Bill Gates. Bill Gates did not invent Windows, and it also originated from Xerox PARC. He didn't even create the operating system for the IBM PC. But like a surfer, he saw the wave and rode it all the way for what’s its worth. That's what leaders do. 

Leaders do not create waves. Waves occur independently because of historical phenomena, inventions and other forms of disruption. But they're the ones who proclaim “I have a vision”. And that vision is all about riding the wave and changing society as a consequence. That's why leadership is not genetic. You're not born leaders. It's an acquired taste. You have to learn and see the opportunity, running with it for all it's worth. And that's what Jobs and Gates did.