“If you’re afraid of talent, you’re not a leader, you’re an occupier of space”– President Ali

True leadership, at its core, is about identifying, cultivating, and empowering talent.

This was the message from President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali when he addressed senior managers and supervisors attending Monday’s launch of the Public Service Upskilling Platform by the Ministry of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

“The worst of leaders are those who are afraid of talent,” the president said before stating, “If you’re afraid of talent, you’re not a leader. You’re an occupier of space”.

The president emphasised that true leadership means empowering others to grow and develop, and warned that leaders who fear being surpassed not only limit themselves, but also stifle the progress of their teams

“You must not be afraid of it because talent will prepare you to deal with any room that you go into,” he emphasised.

The Public Service Upskilling Platform provides access to 100 online courses from Coursera, a globally recognised online learning platform.