Professor John Adair, the UN Chair of Leadership Studies and author of over forty books, launched his most recent work at the London Muslim Centre on 27 September 2010, an exploration of Prophet Muhammad’s leadership. In this thoughtful study, Prof Adair examines the life of Prophet Muhammad together with aspects of Bedouin culture, tribal leadership and ancient proverbs, to provide key points for leaders and those aspiring to leadership.

Speaking to a packed audience, Prof Adair said, “My route to this has been the search for truth, and I think one has to recall in Islam there is this great tradition of seeking truth. What I want to get across is that Muslims are contributors to the world’s body of knowledge but also beneficiaries, and it’s that bridge of uniqueness that you have to share. My vision for educated Muslim leaders or any educated leader is that they draw upon all the wells and the sources of tradition to enrich their own understanding. You should not be backward in sharing your riches in your knowledge in the leadership of Muhammad. I hope my book will be the start of wiser, better people writing on this theme too. The world needs that moral dimension you find in Islam. Obviously there have been changes and we are not living in seventh century Arabia, but because we can understand the universal principles, we can transfer them to the leadership of our day.”

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Chairman of the East London Mosque Trust, thanked Prof Adair for his optimism in the innate good of human nature: “Although sadly we live in an age where fear, myths and hatred are abundant, it is reassuring to embrace Prof Adair’s invaluable contribution, which we hope will help us to understand each other better.”

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