Contemporary leaders must display a robust intellectual character, one that's rooted in wisdom, judgement, and
discernment - qualities often lacking in today's power dynamics.
The pioneering Boston City Campus is uniquely positioned to cultivate such leaders. More than five years of research by our Dean of Postgraduate Business Programmes, Dr Cobus Oosthuizen, led to the development of the “Triarchic Theory of Cognitive Disposition” that signals three essential domains of intellectual character needed to navigate the so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ and beyond: Episteme-Analytical Intelligence, Techne-Inventive Intelligence, and Phronesis-Synergic Intelligence.
These domains, each with three sub-domains, are not isolated but form an integrative whole that defines a leader's cognitive disposition.
Using the outcomes of his research, Cobus heads up the Postgraduate Faculty at Boston City Campus. He believes programme such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Management and the Advanced Diploma in Adaptive leadership will position Boston graduates to emerge as leaders in this fast-changing work environment.
During Covid times we had to pivot businesses, and pivot attitudes to workplaces. We no longer have a “one size fits all approach”, neither do we have a career for life. Each one of us has had to adapt to changed work environments and acquire new skills including critical thinking, flexibilty and adaptive leadership.
As we face an uncertain future, one that is likely to present more complexities and challenges, we need leaders who can inspire constructive dialogue, adapt to changes, tolerate uncertainty, originate innovation, think critically, shape a culture of experimentation, and create positive narratives. We need leaders who are emotionally and ethically aware, capable of navigating the complex intersection of morality and societal change.
Boston City Campus is committed to developing this new breed of leaders. In this era of transformation, we stand ready to amplify and align these foundational requirements, shaping leaders capable of effectively navigating disruptive trends.
Our approach to leadership development is not just about knowledge acquisition, but also about cultivating the cognitive dispositions that underpin the intellectual character of effective leaders which is woven into the fabric of our curricula.
Join us in embracing this vision, and in doing so, help to chart a more resilient, innovative, and ethical course for the future. The ocean we are charting our journeys on nowadays is not what it used to be, but with the right leadership, we can confidently navigate the waves of change.
Stay tuned as we unpack the three domains and their subdomains for cultivating the intellectual character needed to navigate the disruptive present and uncertain future in the weeks to come.
