Dilemmas, Decisions and the Skills for Tomorrow
Anish Lalchandani
Author: The Skills Advantage | Speaker | Global HR Leader | Future Of Work enthusiast | Top 25 Thought Leader
In this issue, I’m taking a step back from sharing insights to offer some reflections instead. With so much happening in the world and in what I’m reading, it feels like the right time to consider the intersections of information, decisions, critical skills we need to navigate, and the dilemmas we all encounter along the way.
Also, I had the pleasure of joining David Green on the Digital HR Podcast to discuss my book, The Skills Advantage and more. Here is the podcast post —I hope you enjoy listening!
I am thankful for your support and interest in my latest book, The Skills Advantage. Please continue to share your feedback, testimonials, comments, and questions.
Reflections: Dilemmas, Decisions and the Skills for Tomorrow
As we approach the year's end, I reflect on the choices and decisions that shaped 2024. One major theme that stands out is decision-making—both in the global political arena and in our personal and professional lives.
This year alone, over 70 nations held elections, with people worldwide choosing their leaders amidst a swirl of information, facts, stories, and propaganda. How do we navigate through this flood of data to make thoughtful decisions? This is a challenge not just for voters but for all of us in our professional work.
While reflecting on these events, I’ve been reading Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari, which explores the evolution of information networks from the Stone Age to the era of AI. This book made me appreciate how information and stories influence us and how decisions—whether personal, political or professional — are becoming more complex in a hyper-connected world. With information overload, fake news, and endless streams of data, developing the ability to sift through it all and find what truly matters has never been more important.
Critical thinking emerges as one of the essential future skills in this context. It’s not just about gathering facts but also about asking the right questions, considering multiple perspectives, and challenging our assumptions. The art lies in understanding which information is reliable, discerning truth from belief, and being aware of how emotions and narratives influence our decisions. But is that possible in all circumstances?
This is not just relevant to elections or politics—it applies equally in corporate boardrooms and our everyday professional decisions. Leaders are increasingly expected to make decisions in uncertain environments, balancing short-term outcomes with long-term impact. The challenge lies in not just evaluating data but also exploring perspectives we may have overlooked and understanding the hidden implications of our choices.
Critical thinking (one of the future skills) is, in many ways, about pausing, reflecting, and making decisions that align with both facts and values. But let’s face it—this is not an easy skill to develop. In a world bombarded with information, it requires deliberate effort to slow down, question our biases, and think beyond the obvious. Every decision, even one vote among billions, holds weight, and we need to be mindful of the stories we believe and the choices we make.
The same is true for leaders. Every decision we make as leaders has ripple effects—on our teams, organizations, and society. How do we ensure we are making the right decisions? Have you come across a leadership program that really equips people to make thoughtful, informed decisions? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
As we wrap up the year and prepare for what’s ahead, it’s worthwhile to reflect on the decisions we’ve made and how we can enhance our ability to think critically moving forward.
Let’s pause, evaluate, and commit to sharpening this vital skill—because in both life and leadership, the quality of our decisions shapes our future.
5 tips to improve your critical thinking
Book Updates:
Book Review by Elina Koussis
Anish Lalchandani has written a practical book about a skills-based approach that considers all the phases of the employee lifecycle and the role of technology. The Skills Advantage offers practical tips and real life examples - a very helpful guide for leaders transitioning to a skills-based approach and preparing for reskilling.
If you have read the book, please leave a review on Amazon/GoodReads as that helps spread the word. Thank you.
The Skills Advantage podcast is out that gives you key insights from the book and some of the latest research as well.
If you enjoyed reading The Skills Advantage, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to spread the word. Thank you.
Other Updates:
Looking forward to meeting you at the upcoming events.
Here are some of my latest articles, podcasts and interviews:
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About the Author
Anish Lalchandani is the author of the bestseller book ‘The Skills Advantage: A Human-Centered, Sustainable and Scalable Approach to Reskilling’. Having held leadership roles at leading firms like A.P. Moller Maersk (current Global Head of Talent Management), General Electric, Standard Chartered Bank and other organizations, he has developed extensive expertise in Talent, OD, Leadership and HR Strategy. In addition to being a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, he is also a certified professional coach and mentor to start-up founders. Several publications, including Economic Times, Thinkers360, Leadershum and HRD, rate him as one of the top influencers in HR and the Future of Work.
Contact Anish at: [email protected] for any feedback and inquiries on speaking and collaboration opportunities.
Co-Author of Excellence in People Analytics | People Analytics leader | Director, Insight222 & myHRfuture.com | Conference speaker | Host, Digital HR Leaders Podcast
1 周Thanks Anish, for being a guest on the Digital HR Leaders podcast and for sharing your insights about Reskilling with our audience. I enjoyed this newsletter too - very thoughtful in this week of all weeks...
Recruitment Director - Online Pajak (APAC)
2 周Anish, your thoughts resonate deeply. Critical thinking indeed lays the foundation for informed decisions that shape our tomorrow.