Of all the themes that I explore on this blog, leadership is the one theme that stands at the centre of everything. Without it nothing would happen and nothing would get accomplished.

However, one of the many challenges that we face is that we, as people, often wait for a status of ‘leadership’ to be conferred upon us before attempting to do something or change anything.

This often means that many things don’t get done or attempted. However, in the words of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992):

“If it’s a good idea, go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.”

The above video tells the story of a few leaders that didn’t wait for permission before they did something. Often working outside the mainstream and with limited access to funding, these leaders are just about to be recognised by The Rolex Awards for Enterprise for their enterprise and efforts to advance human knowledge and well-being.

To recap, they are:

• Neeti Kailas (India) whose work focuses on increasing screening of newborn babies for hearing loss;
• Olivier Nsengimana (Rwanda) who is working to save endangered grey crowned-cranes to conserve Rwanda’s biodiversity;
• Francesco Sauro (Italy) who is exploring ancient quartzite caves in the tepuis of South America;
• Arthur Zang (Cameroon) who has invented Africa’s first medical computer tablet to help diagnose people with heart disease; and
• Hosam Zowawi (Saudi Arabia) who is developing faster superbug tests and raising awareness of antibiotic resistance.

You can find out more about them here.

As the video says:

‘one person can make a profound difference’

and

‘with the right amount of ingenuity, tenacity, determination and commitment…..anyone can change everything’

I salute their efforts and take great inspiration from their leadership.

I hope that you do too.

Note: This post has been sponsored by Rolex, but all thoughts are my own.