In energy, time moves differently. A refinery takes a decade to build. A power purchase agreement may span 20 years. Transmission lines, pipelines, and nuclear plants all operate across generations. And yet, too often, our day-to-day decisions are governed by the next quarter, the next meeting, the next inbox crisis. To lead in energy is to resist that pull — and learn instead to think in decades.
There’s a misconception that long-term thinking is passive or idealistic. That it’s about waiting, or projecting hopes far into the future. In reality, decade-scale thinking is a discipline. It requires precision, patience, and constant recalibration. It asks us to model multiple outcomes — not predict one. To understand trade-offs that won’t surface for years. To build systems that remain relevant even as technologies, regulations, and geopolitics shift. It’s not about being right forever. It’s about being resilient over time.
In most industries, short cycles dominate — product iterations in tech, branding shifts in retail, campaigns in politics. But energy is different. It sits on a foundation of long asset lives, interdependencies, and societal trust. And it demands leadership that thinks not just about what’s possible — but what’s durable. That’s where thinking in decades creates real advantage. It aligns strategy with infrastructure timelines. It respects regulatory inertia without becoming passive. It encourages talent development with a long view, not just near-term metrics. In essence, it connects vision to execution — across time.
Leaders who think in decades develop a different posture. They avoid short-termism disguised as urgency. They see complexity as natural, not frustrating. They focus on systems, not symptoms. This mindset cultivates credibility and calm. It enables teams to operate with more purpose, and fewer panic cycles. For future leaders in energy — whether in operations, strategy, or policy — this ability to extend their mental horizon will define how they allocate attention, guide others, and steward resources.
When I started my career, I was focused on delivery — execution, milestones, results. But over time, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about what you do this year. It’s about what you make possible over the next ten. It’s about designing with legacy in mind, while adapting to realities on the ground. In a field as foundational as energy, that kind of thinking isn’t optional. It’s how we build systems that last — and leaders who deserve to.
WAEL ALSAEDI 