How do we prepare our people for present and future challenges in a hyper-uncertain world?
Paralyzed by the crisis of a generation, we lack the vision and the playbook to confront the challenges before us. Leadership during this time means making the tough choices daily to ready our spirit, engage in reality checks, inspire with shared values, and take nimble action for a better future.
With its new theme, “How to Lead Adaptively Beyond the Crisis,” this Asia Leadership Forum 2020 is dedicated to helping leaders initiate change and manage progress in their organizations and communities.
This forum is where the realities and contradictions of our times are seen through the lens of leading-edge Harvard thought leadership and its practice. It is where leaders come together to clarify their values, gain actionable insights, and acquire tools and frameworks to make a difference in a world that is constantly spinning.
Learn, network, and listen to Harvard thought leaders and local expert practitioners on how you can create a future that defies the odds.
SPEAKERS

Samuel Kim

Rahul Daswani

Steve Jarding

David Shore

Barbara Kellerman

Moshik Temkin

Nishith Jain

Laura Thompson

Ami Valdemoro

Junko Yoda

Richard Lum

John Riady

Dindo Manhit

Bilahari Kausikan

Gita Wirjawan

Melissa Ngiam

Mae Perez
AGENDA
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
MONDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2020
THE WORLD OF COVID: HOW DO WE CONFRONT IT?
THE LEADERSHIP DEMANDED OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURESAMUEL KIM
In the COVID Era, we are experiencing two major currents: complexity colored by uncertainty,
tension, and fragmentation on one hand; and possibility powered by intelligence, innovation and technology on the other. The quality of our leadership will matter more than ever in adapting to the changes, mobilizing disparate groups, while balancing these forces to advance progress during these tough times. Listen to Samuel Kim share how leaders can help their organizations move towards a world after COVID.
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HOW DOES THE WORLD OVERCOME A CRISIS?MOSHIK TEMKIN
Politicians and pundits often use historical analogies to explain the current crisis. But as they are often serving their own agendas, this practice can also mislead, distorting the past and present.
Understanding the history of past crises can help us gain a clinical perspective of the patterns and processes of human nature and society.
What we can do as concerned citizens is develop a critical mindset of how we arrived at this moment and a sober-minded resolve to make a better future for ourselves. Moshik Temkin will share birds-eye view lessons on how societies have overcome crises through collaborating across government, civic, and business communities; communicating to the public about the unknown future; and agile decision making.
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The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.
TUESDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2020
INSPIRING OTHERS DURING A CRISIS
STRATEGIC INFLUENCE DURING TIMES OF CRISISSTEVEN JARDING
All decision makers are now facing the stress of uncertainty. The nature of communication changes during times of uncertainty. Now more than ever, you must
communicate more authentically with clarity, persuasion, and inspiration. Effective communication
could ultimately define breakthrough opportunities and determine the course of important
trajectories. This session seeks to share key principles, strategies of communication, and a model of
public presentation as taught at Harvard and around the world by our world-renowned
speaker. Steve’s methods of communication are unique, having been perfected over his 40-year career
in communication training to thousands of public officials around the world. Through this session,
participants will gain exposure to methods on how to speak well in public settings and navigate a
diverse range of leadership scenarios.
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EMPATHETIC LEADERSHIP:
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The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.
WEDNESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2020
SELF-LEADERSHIP FOR A VALUE-DRIVEN FUTURE
FUTURE OF LEARNING:
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SELF-AWARENESS:
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GAINING THE POWER TO LEAD THROUGH YOUR VALUESBARBARA KELLERMAN
In a rapidly changing landscape, the overwhelming stress, the high stakes of our decisions, and the complexity surrounding us can be debilitating.
What makes someone a successful and effective leader? Have you ever met a high-impact leader who thrives wherever you place him or her? What is true leadership really anchored on?
In this session, Barbara Kellerman, James McGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School will share ideas, techniques, and tools that can assist them in their leadership development journey, chiefly concepts like the power of story; knowing your values, leadership principles and ethical boundaries; building a support team; and improving leadership effectiveness through fit of life story, situation, and adaptive authentic style.
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The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.
THURSDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 2020
EMBEDDING INNOVATION IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
FUTURE OF WORK:
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STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES FOR LEADING INNOVATION DURING A CRISISDAVID SHORE
More than 100 years ago, in his inaugural address as president of Harvard University, A. Lawrence
Lowell set the philosophy for education at Harvard. He suggested that students ‘know a little bit of
everything and something well.’ Drawing from three decades of research, consulting, and teaching
graduate courses and executive education programs in Asia and North America, David A. Shore’s
‘meta-analysis’ reveals top tips for successfully launching, leading, and realizing value from
innovation and change initiatives.
This session has been designed with a singular purpose – to help you mitigate the minefields of
innovation and change. This fast-paced talk will not simply ‘admire the problem,’ but rather provide
actionable insights as we explore a little bit of everything about successfully leading innovation and
change.
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The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.
FRIDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2020
FORESIGHT SKILLS TO CONFRONT UNCERTAINTY
HOW TO THINK LIKE A FUTURISTRAHUL DASWANI
All decision makers are now facing the stress of uncertainty. “Futures thinking” comprises a range of scenario planning strategies and foresight tools that have helped companies like Shell, Google, and Amazon as well as governments like Singapore, Iceland, and Canada envision the future, enhance their decision making, and ultimately leverage the possibilities they face.
In this talk, Rahul Daswani, former Senior Strategist at the Centre for Strategic Futures in Singapore as he shares a framework that can enable you to approach your current unknowns using a futures framework and transform how your organization or community implements strategic thinking and planning.
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THE FUTURE IS EXPANDING:
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The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.
SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2020
Q&A, ROUNDTABLE AND NETWORKING
8:30 AM MYT |
LIVE Q&A [40 MINS EACH]– Q&A WITH BARBARA KELLERMAN – Q&A WITH DAVID SHORE – Q&A WITH STEVE JARDING – Q&A WITH LAURA THOMPSON, JUNKO YODA & AMI VALDEMORO – Q&A WITH RICHARD LUM, RAHUL DASWANI & NISHITH JAIN |
12:40 PM MYT |
BREAK/LIVE JAZZ |
1:10 PM MYT |
PRACTITIONER’S ROUNDTABLE [50 MINS EACH]BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: SERVICE & STRATEGY IN THE AGE OF COVID – JOHN RIADY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LIPPO GROUP POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL LEADERSHIP: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE, RESPONDING DURING COVID – GITA WIRJAWAN, MINISTER OF TRADE OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA (2011 – 2014) SOCIAL & CULTURAL LEADERSHIP: SURVIVING, SERVING, & UNITING DURING COVID – MELISSA NGIAM, CEO, GENERASI GEMILANG |
4:00 PM MYT |
NETWORKING WITH ALF SPEAKERS AND RETHINKING ASIA 7 AUTHORS |
5:00 PM MYT |
CLOSING OF 3RD ALF ONLINE |
The Organizers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the conference or due to unforeseen circumstances.

















