|
Where were you 15 years ago? What were
you doing? What was your life like? How much did you know about life and business
and relationships? Who did you know? How well connected were you? What credentials did you
have? How high was your self-confidence level? Reread those questions for a moment.
Pause to think about your answers.
Now think about where you have been since then. What have you experienced? Where
have you traveled? Who have you met? What skills and knowledge have you acquired? How much
more do you know now than you knew back then? Do you realize what this means?
This means that your future is virtually unlimited! If you had today’s knowledge and
skills back then, by now you would be phenomenally successful by comparison. Millions of
us grew into adults in an era where the world was dominated by the cold war. The
technology of automobiles, airplanes, word processors and televisions led society’s
growth, and the dominant thinking about business was still mostly mechanistic. We saw
business as a machine designed to produce money.
Today we live in a world that is dominated by the Internet and satellite communication.
There is no huge looming “evil empire” to fear. And society is becoming so
connected electronically and otherwise that we can’t afford to war with each other
lest we bomb our own branch offices. The technology is exploding and everyone has a
personal computer and a fax machine. Most, in the business world, now have cell phones or
beepers. Genetic research and biotechnology are revolutionizing medicine. The dominant
thinking today is that people are the essence of a business, not products. Organizations
are seen as organisms. It gets even better.
Throughout history the turn of a century has produced abundant breakthroughs in
technology, psychology, philosophy and social interaction. One hundred years ago we had
only begun to hear of automobiles; didn’t even expect the invention of an airplane.
Mass production was simply an exciting concept. Nobody had ever heard the word
“plastic.” Mail still traveled by stagecoach. Trains and telegraphs were
how we got together and there was no interstate highway system or sophisticated public
education system. Most of us didn’t have electric lights, indoor plumbing or radios.
Nobody had a telephone. And we grew our own food.
Now we are entering a new century with all the conveniences our ancestors dreamed about
and then some, and then some more. The information highway (satellites, personal
computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, flat panel high-definition
televisions and more) is only now being actively constructed. We are at a point like we
were just before the 48 states and Canada were linked with a super network of good four
lane roads.
Our kids are computer literate to the
point that it intimidates us. Europe is opening her borders and consolidating her
currencies, the Pacific Rim is growing new abilities daily, the Berlin Wall is down, South
Africa is healing its wounds, and information is available to virtually everyone. We know
more about healthcare than ever. Fitness is a popular pastime. We are living longer and
being more productive than ever. Diversity is now valued and encouraged. We are beginning
to accept each other’s differences as assets rather than liabilities. Sure, there are
problems too, but let’s keep them in perspective with all the good that’s going
on.
The leadership being felt from our
generation has only just begun to unfold. The fruits of the Baby Boom are now having
a major impact in the world--this time it is for the positive. By the year 2001 it will
dominate the business world. By then the leading edge of us will be 55 years old and in
the prime of our earning years.
Regardless of your current age, barring any surprises, you will become older. In
fact, your life expectancy is even greater than it was ten years ago. Considering
what you know and where you are today, can you see some of the great possibilities
unfolding for you? I sure can. Even with limited health, people can do more today than 15
years ago. Buildings, curbs, signs, and services are being converted to access for all
people. Businesses can be run from our homes. A wheelchair is seen as transportation
rather than weakness. Books and news are being recorded for the visually impaired
and the public’s acceptance of personal limitations is greater than at anytime in
history.
So what qualities do you need to cultivate in order to maximize this era of opportunity
and gain your share of the abundance now being created? Actually surprisingly few. You
won’t have to become a “techno-whiz” nor a voracious reader in order to
keep up. In fact “keeping up” is a thing of the past. Information grows
too fast for anyone to be on top of everything. Staying connected will be the key. We must
be in contact with people and in the flow of information. That is the only way we can hope
to be exposed to enough information to determine which among it all we should pay
attention to. Alvin Toffler told us decades ago in his book, Future Shock that in
this coming era, we will need to re-learn: how to learn, how to relate and how to choose.
He was absolutely right.
Learning is done through multiple intelligences and on many levels by all people today; no
longer just the young. Adult education is a multibillion-dollar industry and growing. We
relate to each other with more respect for age, culture and gender differences. We build
our relationships via electronic means more often than face to face. And we are presented
with so many options in all areas of life that choosing well has become a key life skill.
I predict that the following list of skills will be the core of what it takes to have a
great new era:
A tolerance for ambiguity. Not
everything makes sense. Sometimes the answer to “which?” is “both.”
The habit of staying in touch. If you are not in the game, you can’t be one of
the winners. As Woody Allen said, “90% of success is just showing up.”
A generic curiosity. It is more important to know what to wonder about than it is
to just know.
A clear sense of what you care about. Choosing well depends on knowing a good choice
when you see one.
An unending exploration of your own nature. Your greatest growth will come from
your natural abilities. Peter Drucker said, “Know your strengths. The Important
thing is to know what you are good at.”
A desire to make life better for others. Generosity works, not greed. Only the
givers live a long rewarding life and pass away with a peaceful smile on their faces,
because they lived that way too.
The willingness to do more than you are paid to do. Nothing advances until somebody
does more than they have to.
And, maybe most important of all…
An optimistic outlook. Faith that more good will come than bad and that, whatever
happens, you can handle it.
Cultivate these qualities and the future is yours!
|
