How to Analyze Global Trends - Nu Leadership Series

Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations. The sin is limitations. As soon as you once come up to a man’s limitations, it is all over with him.
Emerson

What do the sweeping changes of globalization do to humanity? Leaders need to have a concern for other cultures. In fact, Black, Morrison, and Gregersen, authors of Global Explorers, maintain that exemplar global leaders possess a keen interest in global business. In possessing these skill sets, the leader utilizes duality, thinking domestically as well as globally. Furthermore, business savvy becomes the word of the day because people must think globally and adjust activities on the local level as well as satisfying customers at all levels. Inquisitive person are also valuable on a global front because they are curious in the face of uncertainty.

Furthermore, sweeping changes in the world make global leadership critical. Management strategists view these cultural shifts like movements of waves in an ocean. Each successive wave of technology brings with it a corresponding value shift. Before the Industrial Revolution, life centered on land and labor. On this land, God gave man his divine “agrarian calling.” Therefore, humanity was technology poor yet spiritually rich in the Agrarian Era. In the same framework, one can analyze the moral compass of society through the ages. Man went away from the land with every technology achievement.

From the steam engine to the Internet to nanotechnology, humanity has transitioned from the physical labor of the land to mental brain power away from the land. Farmers went from freedom in the land to industrial slaves. During this transition, managers controlled the factory workers. These forced interactions created conflict because farmers and industrial society had different value systems. Each successive wave of technology brought with it giant leaps in productivity while expanding the moral decay of mankind. In fact, the Industrial Era ushered in a period of materialism, competitiveness, self-sufficiency, and the supremacy of man. With each technological advance, social consequences also swept across the world like a tidal wave.

Therefore, as man moved away from the soil, he further distanced himself from his soul. During this present wave of changes, organizations witness the explosion of information, advancement of communication technology, globalization, and the period of the knowledge worker. Clearly, there is a universal consciousness for integration. In fact, Maynard and Martens, authors of The Fourth Wave: Business in the 21st century, suggest the following emerging trends: (a) shift in consciousness, (b) disenchantment with science, (c) inner sources of power, (d) spiritualization of humanity (e) anti-materialism (f) political and economic democratization, and (g) global unification.

Furthermore, the current period represents an integration of all dimensions of life and responsibility for all individuals in globalization; it also promotes the unification of the human race. If today’s organizations want to be competitive in the international market, they must learn to active survey the world that is around them. Therefore, modern leaders cannot afford to miss interpret the trends in this global market.

References:

Black, J., Morrison, A., & Gregersen, H. (2002). Global Explorers. New York: Routledge.

Daves, R. (1996). Book Review of The Fourth Wave: Business in the 21st Century. Retrieved on May 14, 2007 from http://www.apmforum.com/review/fr1.htm

Horwitz, E. (1980). On the Land. New York, NY: A Margaret K. McElderry Book.

Marsh, N., Mcallum, M., and Purcell, D. (2002). Strategic Foresight: The Power of Standing in the Future. Australia: Crown Content.

Maynard, Herman Jr. and Susan Martens. The Fourth Wave: Business in the 21st century. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehlar Publisher, 1996.

© 2008 by Daryl D. Green

Examine the global trends of the 21st century. Nu Leadership is a column that explores the changing workforce and social environment as it relates to leadership development.

Daryl D. Green, an international management strategist, writes on contemporary issues impacting businesses, society, and across the globe. With over 18 years of management experience, Mr. Green’s expertise has been noted and quoted by USA Today, Ebony Magazine, and Associated Press. For more information, you can go to http://stores.lulu.com/darygre or http://www.darylgreen.org.

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