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Paper by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.
1.0 FUTURISTIC VISIONS- circa 2020
By about 2020 technology will have drastically changed the way people lead and manage for example
Bookshops may give way to selling books on line and printeries may not be needed
Robots will design and construct buildings
Many employees will work at home
Information will be so readily available to the common people that government and business will be completely transparent
Communication will have become so easy that the world will for the first time become a real global village
2.0 FUTUROLOGY
The study of futurology is now very important for leaders
Futurology studies try to predict changes that will occur based on current trends
Methods of futurology: scenario writing, model building, extrapolation
Institutions of futurology
US: 2000 Committee, Hudson Institute
UK: Mankind 2000
France: Futuriste
Muslim: Institute Of Future Studies in London
3.0 ISLAMIC FUTUROLOGY
Islam is in the future. Islam is ahead of us. Islam is the future.
The Islamic ideals are still way ahead and out of immediate reach for most individuals and communities.
Islam calls humanity to come and catch up
Working towards the future is moving towards islam
Islam will have a major impact on the new world order
It is therefore very important that Muslim leaders be future-oriented
4.0 GHAIB: THE QUR’ANIC PARADIGM OF THE FUTURE
Only Allah knows ghaib: 6:73
Absolute ghaib: death 31:34, yawm al qiyamat 33:63, 31:34, ruh 17:85
Relative ghaib: past: 3:44; present 8:30; future 30:2-4
Islamic attitude to the future is positive
Studying the future from a perspective of iman
Facing the future from a perspective of iman
The righteous shall inherit the earth 21:105, 24:55, 28:5-6
5.0 THE CHANGING AND THE STABLE
The natural laws (sunan llah fi al kawn) do not change
The basic attributes of humans do not change
Physical laws do not change; humans know them or do not know them
Continuous changes in technology and its applications
Changes in social organization
Changes of ideology
Changes in the environment/ecosystem
Changes of culture
6.0 THE CYCLE OF CIVILIZATIONS (al dawrat al hadhariyat)
Each civilization has a fixed lifespan (ajal al umam) 7:34, 23:43
many factors contribute to the rise and fall of civilisations
Islamic civilisation was strong at one time the weakened
Ancient civilisations of Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Persia collapsed
The British empire over which the sun could not set collapsed
The US is the current superpower; a time will come and it also collapses
Future leaders must understand the causes of the rise and fall of civilisations
7.0 CHANGING LEADERSHIP ENVIRONMENT
Lowering of barriers: information, political and military, cultural and language, distance and time
Computer technology: artificial intelligence, expert systems, decision support systems
Workforce: scarcity of skills, independent-minded, desire for more satisfaction from work, little loyalty to organisation, attitude of disrespect for authority, a hedonistic lifestyle (pleasure; no pain)
Economic system: well informed consumer, competition among producers will be based on creativity in quality of products and efficiency of service, political/economic spheres will no longer be relevant
The ecosystem: degradation, concern about the future of life on earth
CHANGING LEADERSHIP STYLES
1895 1945 1995 2020
directing 100% 75% 50% 10%
coaching 5% 50% 75% 95%
supporting 0% 10% 50% 90%
delegating 10% 40% 75% 90%
NB: The percentages are estimates to illustrate changing trends
9.0 CHANGING LEADERSHIP FUNCTIONS AS A RESULT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
1895 1945 1995 2020
Decision-making 90% 90% 50% 10%
Problem-solving 90% 90% 50% 10%
Srategy and planning 5% 40% 75% 95%
Organizing 80% 50% 40% 10%
Controlling 100% 75% 50% 10%
Evaluation 10% 40% 60% 90%
Communication 10% 40% 70% 90%
Negotiation 10% 50% 80% 95%
Co-ordination 5% 30% 50% 80%
Coaching/training 10% 40% 75% 80%
Motivation 5% 30% 50% 80%
10.0 CHANGING MANAGEMENT STYLE
1895 1945 1995 2020
Authoritative 100% 75% 50% 20%
Participative 0% 40% 70% 95%
11.0 THE HUMAN DIMENSION WILL BECOME MORE IMPORTANT
People vs machines & systems
Motivation and getting the best out of the worker
Importance of the individual 80:1-10, 17:70
12.0 CREATIVITY WILL BE THE CRITERION OF BEST LEADERSHIP
Creativity is the essence of civilizational change (creativity vs fossilization)
Creativity is looking at issues from different and new perspectives
Creative thinking is: divergent, lateral, imaginative
The creative mind is: free un-inhibited, exploratory, prepared
The creative personality is: dynamic, non-conformist, autonomous
Creativity is both rational & intuitive
Qur’anic encourages creativity and condemns blind following 38:8, 43:22-24, 37:69-71
13.0 THE KNOWLEDGE DIMENSION
Depth & understanding and not only knowing
Raw data intelligence knowledge wisdom
Euro-centric paradigms of knowledge are failing
New paradigms of knowledge: islamisation
Objectivity of knowledge (al istiqamat)
Understanding human nature: 50:16, 11:10, 100:6-8, 70:19-21, 41:49, 18:54
14.0 THE CULTURAL DIMENSION
Different communities/societies: 11:118, 5:48
Different languages and colors 30:22
Technology: transfer vs creation
Global village vs multi-culturalism
New cultural paradigms
The English language: success and failure
The Arabic language preserved by the qur’an
Islam and civilization