Chandran Nair is the founder of The Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT), a leading Pan Asia Think Tank that explores and confronts 'The Inconvenient Truth' surrounding leadership and global existential issues facing us all. Before the start of GIFT, Chandran led and grew Asia's largest environmental consultancy having lived and worked in a number of regions across the world. Whilst you may or may not agree with some of the issues Chandran explores, this episode will certainly get you to think and confront the narratives that we have all been immersed in for decades.
Chandran's curiosity comes from an increasing sense of injustice for many issues facing the world and the dishonest narratives that he perceives have been distributed across regions. Chandran is a firm believer of scientific research and analysis and a fact driven debate to try and fix these challenges that impact the billions of people on the planet.
Sustainability is an abused term according to Chandran with most people not allowing the science to direct their focus and attention. With 8 billion people on the planet, we can't have it all and most people in the developing world can't live the lives taken for granted in the Western world. Chandran suggests that the term 'net zero' and 'carbon neutral' are myths. The current economic model of 'trickle down economics' will never allow most humans to access or own basic needs that are taken for granted by the West.
The pandemic was an example of how the world suffered a 'storm' but depending on where you lived, people had to navigate that storm in a very different boat. Chandran is still hopeful that 'deliberate denial is not the mainstream reaction to some of these inconvenient truths but he also accepts that good faith is hindered by the harsh realities of things such as the distribution of power and wealth across the world.
Leadership requires all of us to focus on the existential threats and be intellectually honest, regardless of how inconvenient certain truths are for consumption. Chandran states that the science can't be ignored surrounding the world's relentless consumption and the simplicity of approach suggested by many global leaders requires a far more constructive curiosity from us all.
Chandran challenges our thinking throughout this episode and asks many questions including asking if we all 'buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.' Perhaps we are all sleep walking towards the need for draconian measures to slow and reconfigure our current approach to life whereby the collective welfare becomes paramount to individual rights. The greatest challenge for the modern day leader is the requirement to unlearn what may have been taken for granted or even proved to be correct in days gone by.
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