Thinkers of Tomorrow – Inside the Mind of Rob Siegel
On 20 July 2023, PETRONAS Leadership Centre, in a notable collaboration with PIVA Capital, hosted two insightful knowledge sessions as a part of PLC’s “Thinkers of Tomorrow” series. The spotlight was on Professor Robert E. Siegel from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, an esteemed academic and practitioner in Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Venture Capital.
The successful incorporation of Professor Siegel’s expertise, following PIVA’s recommendation, marks a significant milestone in our pursuit of fostering innovation and thought leadership. This synergistic collaboration serves to bring together brilliant minds to inspire, challenge, and ready the leaders of tomorrow.
In two riveting sessions that stretched across the day, Prof. Siegel navigated us through the intricacies of blending the physical and digital in leading organisations and underscored the significance of System Leadership.
During the morning session with 37 of our senior leaders, Prof. Siegel introduced the “Brain and Brawns” framework, a powerful tool to evaluate and enhance our core capabilities. Through two compelling case studies, he highlighted the need for businesses to strike a perfect balance between intellectual capabilities and operational strength. The key to success, according to him, lies in the seamless integration of these two facets, a blueprint for the winning companies of tomorrow.
The afternoon session brought together 53 dynamic members from our innovative and venture teams. Siegel highlighted the necessity of System Leadership in the present fast-paced business environment. He urged attendees to adopt a multifaceted approach to processes and strategies, rather than confining to a singular, digital or physical perspective.
An interesting highlight of the talk was the discourse around integrating new ventures into our existing core business. Prof. Siegel stressed the need for radical development and integration to maintain a competitive edge, pointing out that internal competition is a futile exercise. He reminded us to focus on combating external competition, reiterating, “enemies are outside the organisation.”
He wrapped up the sessions with a profound thought, stating that the best businesses are not merely those that have innovative technologies, but those that can synergise these technologies with revolutionary business models.
The day was not just filled with knowledge sharing but also fostered a culture of curiosity and learning. The insightful sessions led by Prof. Siegel offered a unique learning experience, providing participants with strategies to explore the interesting crossroads of digital and physical worlds.
The lessons from this first session of Thinkers of Tomorrow have inspired us to foster culture that harmonises both brain and brawn, stimulating continual learning and growth in an ever-evolving world.
