February 15, 2010

What I Do and Why

As a teacher across two departments; one which focuses on issues of Policy, Law & Ethics and the other on issues of Strategy, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, you can say I live at the intersection of two worlds. That is my nature. Within that intersection, that confluence of thoughts, ideas, principles and disciplines, I concentrate on what I feel are the most important policy, strategy and development problems of the world today. At a time when society, individuals and education are becoming ever more specialized, I pursue the development of “the mind” at a time when great business minds are desperately needed.

We live in an age of great political, social and economic challenge on one hand and seemingly insurmountable opportunities on the other. To paraphrase Bill Clinton, the challenge before us in the 21st century is:

“… whether the 21st century will be marred by scarcity, deprivation, environmental degradation, terrorism and conflict of all kinds or whether it becomes the most peaceful and prosperous time the world has ever known.”

My ambition is to create the latter.

As Thucydides suggested in the fifth century BC, “The events which happened in the past will at some time or other and in much the same way be repeated in the future.”. The past can suggest much about the future – the nature of change, progress and its impact on society and our environment, and the interplay among human societies in times of peace and conflict. While much will change, human nature
being what it is will continue to be a driving force in the affairs of the world. We must work with this nature, these instincts, not against this them in shaping the future.

The challenges faced demand the best from us as individuals, organizations and as a society. Solutions will require integrative, systemic thinking, the ability to take on and reconcile seemingly intractable problems combined with the confidence to lead change and act amidst great uncertainty. Quoting Einstein,
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Thus our current challenges demand the development of great minds, engaged minds, minds with the awareness of, understanding of and commitment to solve the challenges before us. This is why I do what I do.

Dare we be optimistic about the future? To answer the question with a question, "Is there any other choice?". To address the question directly, my answer is a resounding yes.

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