“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

For most of us, our life’s journey has been wrought with uncertainty these past few years and Tolkien’s quote seems so appropriate in these challenging times.  We are in the midst of an economic and sociological genesis, a time that arguably has little parallels to other periods of transformations.  Its breadth is wider, velocity is faster and ability to obliterate the conventional, shocking.

The coming year will bring challenges beyond what we have seen in the past few years.  Governments and Corporations will need to accept the reality that social media may have a pedigree based on connecting between friends, but it has evolved to be a force in the democratization of every aspect of life, for good or bad.  Those who oppose this force will risk obsolescence.

Yet I find the light of inspiration always shines brightest when the darkness of adversity is at its worst.

Along with the challenges, 2012 will bring about significant opportunities to evolve the world we live in.  The world is looking for leaders who can harness the power of viral democracy and collaborate to help create a new world, one that is based on peace and equality.  Leaders that support the balance of meritocracy while offering opportunity to all. Leaders who can inspire.

But, we all have a part to play in this genesis.  The success or failure of the genesis can only occur through an organic growth of small incremental change.  Each day we have opportunities to make that change, make that small step towards achieving the most significant transformation our world has ever seen.

All we need to decide is if we should step onto that road keep our feet, yet not fully knowing where we might be swept off to.  One thing is certain; progress is not made without embracing the risk of change.

I wish all of you and your families health and happiness for the new year and beyond.

Always interested in hearing your thoughts.

In an unscheduled appearance, former US President Bill Clinton appeared at the Aspen Ideas Festival yesterday afternoon and talked about jobs, the debt ceiling, and Medicare.

On jobs, he pointed out that 3 million jobs are posted for hire, but are being filled at about half the rate of previous recessions.  It’s important to bring back construction and manufacturing, not just service jobs.  Banks need to lend and companies need to borrow to accelerate this.  IT was the job growth engine of the 1990s, but not now.  In the 2000s, jobs could have come from the energy sector but there was a lack of investment in alternative energy, and this was a lost opportunity.

In the 2010s, President Clinton seemed to feel that the US is even less well-placed.  Many people have swallowed the GOP message that government is the problem, while corporations feel no responsibility towards the state, only their shareholders.  Business schools have certainly followed Friedman in teaching this view, stressing the claims of fiduciary responsibility, while in the US and much of the Western World, corporations are increasingly treated as persons under the law.

The debt ceiling debate was clearly a source of ire.  Congress has already voted to incur debt by spending money, so how can it now refuse to raise the ceiling?  (more…)