AI Leaders Can Be Found on the Playing Field

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Tony Boobier
by Tony Boobier

It’s a worrying time in many British households at the moment. ‘A-levels’ out last week and not everyone will have got their required grades. GCSE’s out this Thursday. But those who don’t ‘make the grade’ might not need to be too worried after all.

I came across an interesting report from DDI, A UK HR company . It’s slightly old but still valid I think. It suggested that the Captains of Industry of tomorrow need not necessarily be the brightest academically but rather that they are the ones who are likely to have had leadership positions at school. The survey indicated that that 95% of top business leaders were Head Boy, Head Girl, prefects, rugby captain, netball captain. Others led scout or guide groups.

Of the 105 business leaders including Chairmen and Chief Executives interviewed, 70% were prefects, 50% had captained a team and 30% were heads or deputy heads.

The survey showed them to be well rounded individuals who were successful on the sports field, popular with their peers and had a wide range of pursuits. (Perhaps it’s the latter which may account for some of them not doing so well academically.) It seems that most leaders have known from an early stage that they wanted to lead, not to be led. (65% of those surveyed). 60% say they have always been ambitious, and 40% say that they still aspire to better things.

“I demonstrated I had a vision that people could agree to and I had stick- to-it-ness to execute the plan we had agreed.” says one respondee. It sounds like a useful set of competences.

With much being said about leadership in this new technological age and the need for new competences, might it already be possible to identify tomorrows AI leaders on the playing field rather than in the classroom?

Tony Boobier