Inflection: A Roadmap for Leaders at a Crossroads
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A practical, human guide to the pivotal moments that make or break leaders and their organisations, with relevance for charity leaders pursuing growth at scale and pace.
Leadership has rarely felt harder. The pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and other global crises, together with the rapid arrival of generative technologies have unsettled much of the received wisdom about how to lead. Not surprisingly many leaders, if they can make space to think, are asking whether the models they were taught still hold.
In Inflection, Sharath Jeevan argues that the answer lies not in another set of static leadership rules but in learning to recognise and navigate what he calls inflection moments: the turning points, in organisational life and in our own, when something profound shifts and the path ahead is no longer clear.
These moments, Jeevan argues, are not simply threats to be managed. They are the rare openings in which leaders can lay the foundations for future success, redefine their goals, and reflect honestly on themselves and their organisations. The true test of leadership, on this account, is the ability to spot these pivotal moments and make the most of them, rather than letting them pass or mishandling them.
For charity leaders and fundraising directors, the parallel is immediate. Deciding when to invest in growth, when to change direction, and when to reimagine a fundraising programme are exactly the kinds of inflection moments on which long-term income depends.
DIAL
The book is built around a framework Jeevan calls DIAL, explained through the analogy of a watch. Daring a new direction is the hour hand, igniting potential in ourselves and others is the minute hand, aligning the motivations of key stakeholders is the second hand, and learning to learn is the watch dial that holds it all together. Together these four elements give leaders a way to think across the short, medium, and long term at once, rather than defaulting to whatever feels most urgent.
Written in short, compelling micro-chapters, Inflection is designed to be digestible, with space to reflect after each one. It addresses lifelong learning, nurturing the potential of teams, aligning intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the discipline of honest self-inquiry. Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable and Hooked, praised it as a fresh way to make a leader’s time and impact count for more. More information about the author and his work is available at intrinsic-labs.com.
About Sharath Jeevan OBE
Sharath Jeevan OBE is founder and executive chairman of Intrinsic Labs and a globally recognised authority on leadership at inflection moments. He works with organisations across the non-profit sector, from the Tate to the Global Fund for Children, to build intentional leadership legacy and futureproof their impact, and he teaches leadership at Oxford’s Saïd Business School and at Cambridge University.
He is the author of two books, Intrinsic: A Manifesto to Reignite our Inner Drive and Inflection, and founder of the Generational Success Lab. He was awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours, along with an honorary doctorate, and holds degrees from Cambridge, Oxford, and INSEAD.
Summary
- Leadership has become challenging due to global crises and shifting technologies.
- The book Inflection by Sharath Jeevan highlights ‘inflection moments’, which are critical turning points in leadership.
- Jeevan’s DIAL framework includes daring, igniting, aligning, and learning, helping leaders address both immediate and long-term needs.
- Inflection encourages reflection and lifelong learning, making leadership more impactful and intentional.
- Sharath Jeevan, a leadership expert, is involved in numerous initiatives, including teaching at major universities and working with non-profit organisations.
Related titles
- Humanocracy (Hamel and Zanini)
- Solving Procrastination (Shatz)
- Building Donor Loyalty (Sargeant and Jay)
- Intrinsic: A Manifesto to Reignite our Inner Drive (Sharath Jeevan OBE)
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