Week 10: The changing concept of career
The need for tri-sector leaders
Many of the world’s most difficult problems –
resource scarcity, training future workforces, making
healthcare affordable and accessible – require
collaboration between government, business, and
not-for-profit sectors
Tri-sector leaders are individuals who are able to
bridge the differences that separate the three sectors
and thus develop more holistic and sustainable
solutions
The paths to tri-sector leaderships varies, some
begin in government and then move into the private
sector (e.g. Sheryl Sandberg) while others start in the
not-for-profit sector prior to moving into government
(Barack Obama)
What successful tri-sector leaders do well
Balancing competing motives
Have a strong desire to create ‘public value’, however, this
is not at the expense of their on motives for wealth
creation, power, and strong sense of mission
Combine idealism (often found in the not-for-profit sector)
and pragmatism (found in government and business) to
serve a wide array of people
Acquiring transferable skills
In business one must use scare resource to exploit market
opportunities
Government must bring competing interest together to
create regulatory environments that benefits the public
Not-for-profit organisations have limited resources, focus
on the long-term, and look for creative ways to further
social good
Developing contextual intelligence
Not only able to see parallels between sectors but also
accurately assess differences in context and translate
across them
Forging an intellectual thread
Concentrate on a particular issue or theme overtime
building subject matter expertise in the process
Developing and applying an intellectual thread across
sectors provides the ability to transcend limitations of
sector-based thinking
Over their career tri-sector leaders strengthen their
intellectual thread via formal education, professional
training, or research at a not-for-profit organisation
An intellectual thread increases one’s credibility and
capacity to cross and seamlessly integrate across sectors
Building integrated networks
Critical for any career, especially, a cross-sectorial one
Integrated networks across sectors are used to convene
project teams/think tanks to develop solutions for cross-sectoral
issues
Maintaining a prepared mind
Preparing financially to be in a position to take up positions
that are financial less lucrative, at least in the short-term
Comfortable deviating from traditional career paths when
opportunities arise to extend one’s skills and experience
across sectors
Rather that focusing on a specific job or career, focus on a
set of skills, capabilities, values, experiences, and impact
one wants to have as a ‘frame of reference’
Developing tri-sector leadership skills
Need to overcome systemic barriers across sectors
Necessary to take a life-cycle approach
At the beginning of career:
Undertaking joint-degree programs (not purely technical ones)
Undergoing training and mentoring programs that incorporate
cross-sector concerns
Mid-career
Undertaking fellowships
Attending conferences where mentors (across sector) could be
found
Media training and establishing connections with media
Towards the end of career
Mentoring budding tri-sector leaders
Incorporating tri-sector leadership development and training as
part of organisational succession planning
Evolution of the employer-employee
compact
Employer-employee compact (white-collar)
Traditional
Stable
Life-time employment and loyalty
Predictable career trajectories
Low employee turnover
Contemporary
Rapid unpredictable change – volatile
Employees encouraged to think as ‘free agents’ in charge of
their own destiny and therefore, employability
Winner take all mentality
Lack of job security and performance-driven culture results
in more adaptable and entrepreneurial employees
However, the most adaptable and entrepreneurial talent
constantly seek greener pastures elsewhere, making
employee retention extremely difficult