{"id":48874,"date":"2023-02-20T09:52:07","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T07:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=48874"},"modified":"2025-11-28T14:15:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T12:15:35","slug":"leaders-must-change-with-the-times-why-studying-leadership-online-keeps-me-evolving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/leaders-must-change-with-the-times-why-studying-leadership-online-keeps-me-evolving\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders Must Change With the Times: Why Studying Leadership Online Keeps Me Evolving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Reinventing Your Leadership Approach | Meet Slim Chiha\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7E7Dl3q5Wxw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>&#8220;To lead people to a fruitful future, you need to connect with them in the present. And this really defines the way that I see my growth as a leader.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>\u2013 Slim Chiha, Medicinal Chemist, and Co-Founder and CEO, PROSION Therapeutics<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"174\" height=\"187\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/SLIM_CHIHA_HEADSHOT-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48876\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s clear that Slim Chiha has a deep love for learning. He jokes that he was an annoying child, always asking questions. But it was that curiosity and need for answers that fueled his interest in chemistry \u2013 a passion that has driven his career journey since graduating from high school. Slim speaks fondly of his time studying, mentions \u201ceight wonderful years\u201d that included a PhD and postdoctoral research, focused on an innovative solution to treating hard-to-treat diseases, such as cancer. He is now leading his team through the transformation from academia to a biotech company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pivoting-from-research-to-leadership\">Pivoting from research to leadership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Academic excellence does not necessarily translate to effective leadership, but Slim shows incredible insight in his approach to his new role as a CEO and co-founder of PROSION Therapeutics. On what makes a strong and impactful leader, he says, \u201cI really do believe that self-awareness defines great leadership. As a leader, you have to constantly reflect on your own actions and behavior, but also seek alternative perspectives as feedback to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way he has chosen to broaden his own capabilities and explore new viewpoints is through further education. Slim registered for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/oxford-executive-leadership-programme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oxford Executive Leadership Programme<\/a> to support his growth from an academic and researcher to someone who could successfully lead a new start-up and achieve the goals of improving patients\u2019 quality of life. The online programme from Sa\u00efd Business School, University of Oxford is designed to equip participants with practical skills for the modern business environment and help them develop the tools to be a driving force for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leading-through-disruption\">Leading through disruption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The company\u2019s values of innovation, collaboration, disruption are similarly cherished by Slim; this outlook stood them in good stead as they navigated the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. When he speaks of the impact of working remotely, he is clear about the need for a leadership style founded on adaptability, empathy, and trust: \u201cWe had to learn, as leaders, not only to incorporate our perspective on it [remote work] but really allow every single team player to bring their own perspective and vision.\u201d Slim also relied on this approach when entrusting knowledgeable employees with the job of leveraging digital transformation to evolve from academia to a functioning biotech company. He says of the team that took on this development, \u201cAs leaders, our job is to empower them.\u201d Later on in the interview, he reflects on his duty to his employees: \u201cOne common misconception about leadership is that it\u2019s about power, and I think that\u2019s wrong. Leadership is really about responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-value-of-online-learning-as-an-entrepreneur\">The value of online learning as an entrepreneur<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The journey of an entrepreneur \u2013 even one as passionate about education as the job at hand \u2013 involves a careful balance of time and energy. Slim looked online to develop his leadership skill set so that he could fit his learning around his daily responsibilities to the company. \u201cYou can really learn at your own pace. For someone like an entrepreneur, that\u2019s a great advantage.\u201d He goes on to say, \u201cThe online programme helped me refocus my main tasks as a leader: engaging with my team [and] connecting with potential stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His testimony is full of encouragement for future participants, \u201cBe prepared to embark on a wonderful journey through different perspectives on leadership, and take the time to implement the lessons learned into your day-to-day role.\u201d Slim also has advice for future leaders, suggesting that they \u201creflect on the way they display responsibility and accountability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slim is unequivocal in his view on the value of learning. He quotes Malcom X, \u201cEducation is your passport to the future as tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.\u201d He goes on to say: \u201cAnd I believe that investing in your own knowledge and your own education is the best investment.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Develop leadership skills that meet the changing needs of modern business<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;To lead people to a fruitful future, you need to connect with them in the present. And this really defines the way that I see my growth as a leader.&#8221; \u2013 Slim Chiha, Medicinal Chemist, and Co-Founder and CEO, PROSION Therapeutics It\u2019s clear that Slim Chiha has a deep love for learning. He jokes that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":48877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-48874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Leaders Must Change With the Times: Why Studying Leadership Online Keeps Me Evolving - GetSmarter Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/leaders-must-change-with-the-times-why-studying-leadership-online-keeps-me-evolving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Leaders Must Change With the Times: Why Studying Leadership Online Keeps Me Evolving\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;To lead people to a fruitful future, you need to connect with them in the present. 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