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Home Blog Tackling Complex Issues in Society: Next25's Game-Changing Approach
18Dec

EP#45 : Tackling Complex Issues in Society: Next25's Game-Changing Approach

By Claire Wescombe | Blog, Podcast, Real Talk With Outperformers, The Outperformer, Brad Eisenhuth, next25, business | 18 Dec 2023 |
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On this week’s episode of Real Talk With Outperformers, Brad is joined by Ralph Ashton - Founder of Next25, a think-and-do tank that combines analysis with innovation and entrepreneurial practice to address systemic problems. Additionally, they provide leadership development programs for Parliament and political leaders. In this episode, Ralph shares his insights on the importance of humility, having a clear vision, and boldness in pursuing dreams. He also dives into the need to find the right balance between these qualities, and how they can lead to long-term success!


Here are some highlights of his conversation with host, Brad Eisenhuth:


Ralph’s Journey to Next25

Ralph Ashton’s journey to Next25 started all the way back during his upbringing in Papua New Guinea. This upbringing led Ralph to understand the importance of connecting different perspectives, cultures and ideas. He believes in the balance between driving ideas forward and staying open to learning, embracing humility to impact positive change. When it comes to experience, Ralph has quite an impressive resume, spanning experience in corporate law, investment banking, consulting, academia, NGOs, and think tanks.

Thinking about the obstacles humanity faces when it comes to complex decisions like the appropriate use of public land, or necessary actions in the aftermath of a tsunami event, or how to address climate change with the help of forestry and agriculture led Ralph to come up with the idea of Next25. They are an organization that aims to be the first responder to these complex challenges, and they work to address the gaps in our societal capacity to effectively approach these delicate issues!


Collaboration in problem-solving.

Ralph discusses his role in coordinating the global response to a past tsunami – using this as an example of the importance of collaboration when solving complex problems. By bringing together different stakeholders, including national organizations, governments, and humanitarian agencies, Ralph was able to address both the immediate and long-term impacts of the disaster. This required him and his team to consider the needs and perspectives of various parties, and led him to find a balance between immediate relief efforts and long-term sustainability.

By bringing together these diverse perspectives, expertise, and stakeholders, Ralph was able to reach a quality response. Ralph utilizes this example to encourage leaders and individuals to embrace collaboration and recognize the complexity of problems, in order to find comprehensive and sustainable solutions.

Ralph and Brad also discuss the idea of building a team around an idea or project. Ralph mentions the Belbin analytical framework, which identifies nine team roles and emphasizes the importance of having a diverse team with complementary skills and strengths. This highlights the significance of collaboration and recognizing that different people bring different perspectives and abilities to the table.


Constructive Discussions

Ralph also touches on the importance of trust and creating safe spaces for conversations. He mentions that people fear losing friendships and relationships, as well as professional opportunities when engaging in ambiguous and complex conversations. This fear can get in the way of constructive discussion and makes it difficult to find common ground. When it comes to overcoming this, Ralph introduces the need for safe spaces where conversations can take place without immediately being painted into corners. By creating such spaces, individuals can engage in open and honest dialogue, leading to more productive and meaningful conversations.


Humility and A Vision – Essential for effective leadership

Ralph shares that dysfunction and chaos within organizations often stems from a lack of clarity in where they are trying to go. Without a leader providing a clear vision, it becomes difficult for a team or group to align efforts, make decisions, and drive progress, and can also impact motivation and drive.

Similarly, humility is also an essential trait of a good leader. Ralph explores the importance of leaders being open to ideas, willing to admit their mistakes and wanting to collaborate with others and the effect that this has on a team environment.

Leaders who lack humility may become overly confident and resistant to feedback, which can lead to poor decision-making and a lack of trust among their team. On the other hand, leaders who lack vision may struggle to inspire and motivate others, leading to a lack of direction and progress.

It is important for leaders to find a balance between BOTH vision and humility in order to effectively lead and achieve their goals.


Embracing Complexity

Ralph and Brad discuss how people naturally have fears and concerns when faced with change or the unknown. Addressing these fears and creating a safe environment is essential for enabling individuals to embrace complexity and step outside their comfort zones. Without safety, people will default to seeking simplicity and staying within their familiar boundaries.

However, complex issues require multi-dimensional and multi-layered approaches. It is important to resist the temptation to oversimplify or always be looking for a “silver bullet” solution. Embracing complexity and understanding the nuances of a situation is necessary for developing effective strategies and solutions.


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