Don’t Be a Nokia, a Duck, or a Beheaded King
Warning: Reading this may inspire you to stop moaning and may cause sudden urges to adapt and lead. Side effects include visionary thinking and a sudden dislike for excuses. Please proceed with determination (and coffee).
Back in my school days, our formidable principal, Mr. M.M. Kawoosa, had a habit of delivering morning assembly speeches that could outlast the patience of even the most disciplined students. While most of my classmates were discreetly shifting their weight from one foot to the other, praying for the bell to rescue them, I stood there, utterly captivated. He is a man of immense intellect, eloquence, and—much to the despair of the restless crowd—a seemingly endless supply of wisdom. One of his most frequently quoted lines was: "Those who change with the change, survive. Those who change after the change, struggle. Those who do not change, perish. And those who make the change, are the leaders.”
While the Pythagorean theorem has long escaped my memory (I’m sure mathematicians will soldier on without my contributions), this gem of wisdom has clung to me as stubbornly as a piece of Big Babol Fillifolly to the underside of a well-polished shoe. Ironically, my maths teacher was convinced I wasn’t “good enough” and doomed to a life of numerical mediocrity—an opinion I’d have taken more seriously had he been as good at predictions as he was at explaining why logarithms were worth my time. As it turns out, I’ve done rather well for myself, despite my tragic inability to calculate the precise trajectory of a flying Orange. And now, if you’ll indulge me, I’ll attempt to unpack this far more useful piece of wisdom.
A few weeks ago, I found myself feeding ducks in Kensington Gardens, London. I was in the company of a bunch of happy kids playing around. As I tossed breadcrumbs into the pond, it hit me—once upon a time, I was one of those carefree kids. Back then, life’s greatest joy was a bowl of Maggi noodles and a Shinchan episode on a rainy day. Now, Maggi gives me a dry mouth, and returning to school seems like an impossible dream. That, my friends, is life.
Growing up, I thought adulthood meant unlimited Coca Cola, Fancy-Fast cars, and the sheer joy of doing whatever I wanted. Turns out, it’s just endless responsibilities, no Coca-Cola (or anything unhealthy), and the horrifying realization that nobody is coming to clean up after you. Once, I complained about too many family gatherings; now, I chase those moments because sadly everyone’s too busy with their Mobiles these days. My Dad, who once scolded me for asking him to buy me an iPad when everyone had one, now nags for having an old mobile phone and a pocket watch. He says, “the world is going forward, and you are going backwards”’ The tables have surely turned, and frankly, I’d like a refund. Andy Bernard from The Office once said, "I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them."
Change sneaks up on us, sometimes gently, sometimes like a wrecking ball. And the more we resist it, the harder it hits. Change is the only constant, yet how it unfolds makes all the difference. Some changes erupt like revolutions—swift, chaotic, and often destructive. Others arrive through slow, deliberate refinements, shaping the future with patience and vision.
When families, institutions, or societies resist change for too long, it eventually comes crashing down like a flooding river—uncontrollable and ruthless. In such cases, old systems are dismantled overnight, leadership is overthrown, and new rulers with new rules emerge. But whether the outcome is good or bad remains uncertain. Take the French Revolution as an example. Years of inequality and poor leadership fuelled an explosive revolt against the monarchy. The guillotine became the symbol of change, as King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette—let’s just say— were removed from office, they met a brutal fate and were (you guessed it) Guillotined. France transitioned into a republic, but at a staggering cost—chaos, persecution, and the bloody Reign of Terror. Revolutions replace the old with something new, but not always with something better. you can swap a clueless leader for an even bigger clown, or, if the stars align, something brilliant might rise from the chaos. But will it be a masterpiece or a disaster? Roll the dice and find out!
In contrast, a truly enlightened leader, well-read and forward-thinking, anticipates change with intellectual rigour and boldness. They navigate shifting landscapes, evolving mindsets, and uncertain times with calculated grace, earning admiration, satisfaction, and leaving behind a legacy. This type of change is more like a quiet tide rather than a tsunami—subtle, yet transformative over time. While revolutions can be chaotic, some leaders choose a more refined approach, when the tiny island that you might even struggle to locate on a map, Singapore gained independence in 1965, it was a small, impoverished island with a diverse population and limited resources. There was a lot of crime and a big drug problem. However, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore transformed itself within 25 years into one of the world’s wealthiest nations. Instead of radical overhauls, Lee implemented controlled, strategic reforms—strict anti-corruption laws, world-class education, and a disciplined work culture. Today, Singapore is a model of stability, prosperity and one of the world’s wealthiest countries. This is the power of refinement. Change is embraced, but in a way that ensures sustainability and stability rather than destruction.
Refinement is ideal, but if ignored for too long, revolution becomes inevitable. As Mr. Kawoosa warned, "Those who do not change, perish”. Remember BlackBerry? Nokia? Once giants in the mobile industry, they failed to adapt to the smartphone revolution. While Apple and Samsung sprinted ahead, Nokia laughed off touchscreen phones. Blackberry bet too long on its keyboard. Both paid the price, from being household names to ‘Wait, do they still make those? Change doesn’t wait for anyone. Trying to halt a child’s growth or stop a tree from sprouting is futile, evolution is embedded in nature’s design. The sooner we recognize this, the better. Listen to Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” This concept isn’t just scientific; it holds significance in faith as well. Islam acknowledges change as a natural part of life, encouraging adaptability while preserving core values. The Quran states, "Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves" (13:11). This highlights that true transformation—whether personal or societal—begins from within.
Some don’t just react to change—they make and shape it. They are called Visionaries. They are the leaders in Mr Kawoosa’s words. Visionaries just don’t wait for revolutions. They adjust the sails while everyone else argues about the wind direction. Steve Jobs foresaw the shift to user-friendly tech and revolutionized the industry. Becoming a global leader requires resilience. Take Japan, for instance. Despite the devastation of the atomic bomb, they transformed pain into progress, focusing on technology, education, and economic policies. Today, they are a global powerhouse in innovation and culture. I’ve met many Japanese individuals who embody this spirit—never dwelling on the past but striving for excellence. It’s a lesson in turning adversity into opportunity. And then there’s Dubai, my favourite. Once a barren desert, it’s now a futuristic metropolis. Back in the day, it was more ‘sand dunes and camels’ than ‘skyscrapers and Lamborghinis.’ But with aggressive modernization, it became a global business and tourism hub practically overnight. Go to Dubai, there is no rubbish on the street, everybody is employed, no personal income tax, best in class healthcare and education, no homelessness, global aviation hub in the DXB and 11 million reasons more. And let me tell you one thing, this was not done by money this was done by the Visionary Leadership of Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum. If that’s not embracing change and leading from the front, I don’t know what is.
So, here’s the deal: change is coming, whether you like it or not. You can either be the visionary who shapes it—like the Sheikh of Dubai, turning sand into skyscrapers or you can be the duck in Kensington Gardens, sitting around waiting for someone else to toss you breadcrumbs. The choice is yours: lead the charge like a trailblazer or quack your way into irrelevance. History doesn’t wait for ducks, and neither should you. Bon appétit!
