Just a couple of generations ago—as his family was living in seemingly endless political and economic poverty in East Africa—no one would have foreseen that Dr. Aleem Bharwani would become a specialist in internal medicine, study leadership and public policy at Harvard and become a clinical assistant professor in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine.
But all those decades ago, with the support of the Aga Khan Development Network providing health care, housing, education and economic opportunities, Bharwani’s parents were able to better their situation and eventually immigrate to Canada, where their son was born.
“My family and I were clear beneficiaries of those who prioritize generational public service,” says Bharwani, who as a result of his family’s experience views leadership to be a very personal practice.
“Every action, every inaction, every word, every thought ought to be an act of leadership,” says Bharwani. “Voting can be an act of leadership. So can mentorship, education, or any sharing of ideas, problems or opportunities. Anything we do to enhance our generational activities is, in my opinion, an act of leadership.”
Too often, he says, people have too narrow a view of who is a leader, thinking only of CEOs, deans or politicians. “But I think some of the greatest leaders are friends, peers, parents, teachers, students and those great mentors who everyone has had growing up who make you think differently about world issues,” says Bharwani.
He says to create leaders, the most important thing is to promote reflection. “I encourage people to zoom out and look at things from the balcony as well as the dance floor,” he says. “I teach my students to have honest, open conversations with everyone, to foster a safe space for people to identify opportunities, problems and solutions as well as partners, and finally, to dream, ask questions, experiment, iterate and share.”
Bharwani says leaders can learn from everyone they encounter and everyone, in turn, has the responsibility to be aware of—and engage in—identifying collective problems and finding solutions. “Leadership isn’t the gift and duty of a few,” he says, “rather it’s the goal and expectation of the majority.”
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