yaseen anwar : leadership challenges for business success speech by mr yaseen anwar, governor of the state bank of pakistan, at the 12th management association of pakistan convention, karachi, 14 december 2011. * * * honorable delegates, members of map, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a pleasure for me to be with you today, on the occasion of the 12th management association of pakistan ( map ) convention on “ leadership challenges for business success ”. first of all, i must express my gratitude to map for inviting me to this gathering and providing me an opportunity to share my thoughts with the country ’ s business leaders. at the outset, i would like to commend map for its role over the last four decades in disseminating management knowledge that has helped in elevating the overall leadership aptitude of our managers. the quality of business leadership and human resources play a significant role in sustaining growth and competitiveness. map has facilitated this by providing a platform to business leaders and professional managers to deliberate managerial developments and establish strong social and professional networking. this yearly convention on key issues provides an opportunity for participants to meet exchange and learn from each other ’ s experience. the theme of this convention is most appropriate, revolving around the concepts of leadership and its role in business progression in a turbulent time. leadership itself is a wide and crucial topic that can be discussed throughout the duration of this convention. having worked with leading global financial organizations in different markets, including now at the state bank, i understand the issues and challenges facing businesses and their leadership, particular during these difficult times. answers to all our problems are certainly not readily available to us. however, conventions such as these enable us to share our experiences and arrive at some shared conclusions. the world today is passing through a turbulent phase that requires a realignment of our leadership approach to managing a business. today ’ s business leader is faced with a multitude of challenges, both on external and internal fronts. the complexities arising in the eco - system of any business may arise in the shape of macro economic imbalances that include sagging demand, inflation, volatility in financial markets etc. while demanding situations on the internal front arise from personnel management, investment decisions, alignment and realignment of business objectives, there should be no ambiguity that there are always complex matrices linking external challenges with internal ones and therefore, successful business leaders will never make internal business decisions in isolation. an uninformed business leader is a leader without a vision and quite likely

yaseen anwar : developing leadership skills and vision for pakistan ’ s economic growth and prosperity chief guest / keynote speech by mr yaseen anwar, governor of the state bank of pakistan, at the 4th ceo summit and book launch of “ 100 business leaders of pakistan ”, karachi, 8 november 2012. * * * good morning ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for inviting me to this prestigious gathering! as i look around here, i can see some of the most talented individuals that pakistan has ever produced. each success story is as unique as it is brilliant. ladies and gentlemen, i do not need to tell you this, but you have arrived! the successes of pakistani ceos are a collection of stories about fearless leadership, in the face of adversity. let ’ s admit it : the business environment in this country could be better. we may have numerous problems, but a lack of entrepreneurial spirit and drive is not one of them. what have you, as entrepreneurs and managers, not faced in this environment? you have faced changes in governments and policies ; you have faced high inflation ; you have faced the depreciation in the value of the currency ; you have faced shortages of electricity and energy ; you have faced multiple security issues and a constant threat to both life and property ; in fact, we haven ’ t made your job any easier by keeping interest rates on the higher side! but you have persevered and persisted, committed and dedicated your energies to your businesses and workers. and now your success stands in front of you. you have created corporate empires within pakistan – ones that now provide essential goods and services to the economy, ones that are the engine of growth for this economy. this is why, ladies and gentlemen, you have arrived! and this is why i would like to applaud your success. but there is one thing that concerns me. and let me throw it out as a challenge. you have conquered the pakistani market it would seem. yes, the local market holds tremendous potential for growth, but i think the time has come for you to lead pakistan forward, beyond our borders. yes, i challenge you, to take the wonderful skills that you have acquired here in the face of adversity, and build up your presence in the world. companies from the developing world have a unique advantage over their peers in industrialized economies. they are survivors in the face of challenges that your peers in the developed world have not had to face. they learn to