The inspirations of Shafi Ahmed surgeon, teacher and futurist – Director magazine

The worlds most watched surgeon broadcasts ops for students and advises governments and business on tech. Here are his inspirations

Listen with the earsof an owl is advice that I live by. Experience has taughtme that good leadership is about listening intently to the people around you and all your stakeholders. Itsabout being able towork with humility.

A book that has inspired me is Muhammad Ali: His life and times by Thomas Hauser. It has views from Alis family, friends and opponents. Its fascinating how hechanged over time. Italso makes you think about legacy: what will you leave behind and be remembered for?

My favourite quote: The future is already here. Its just not evenly distributed William Gibson.

I believe that artificial intelligence is thefuture. Machine learning will power healthcare. Itwill augment and assist doctors, rather than replacing them. Peoplewill access care wherever they are, whenever they need it, without waiting or taking time off work which will also be good for employers.

A leader I admire is Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand. Leadership is about how you act under pressure. Herresponse to the Christchurch terror attack comforting people and facing theissue head on to bring about rapid change was exemplary.

Its important to get away for a day to relieve the pressure. For me, its about spending time with myfamily. My son and I go to watch West Ham United football is a shared passion.

Tech empowers us to teach. The Lancet Commission reported that we need to train2.2million more surgeons to perform 143 million more procedures a year by 2030. That got me thinking: how can we disrupt the training of surgeons? Using VR, social media and TV, Ishared my surgical skills with millions ofpeople in real time. Ihope its pushed a boundary of what we imagine learning couldbe in the future.

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The inspirations of Shafi Ahmed surgeon, teacher and futurist - Director magazine