Sitting on the side-line while the rate of change in our interconnected world increases exponentially, is not an option. No one can escape the forces of change. Sooner, rather than later, the remaining 60% of the world population will also have internet access and contribute to an ever-changing and complex picture of the planet and its people.
We typically find ourselves in the tension between the need to know and the need for inner peace. As leaders in any form or role, it is incumbent on us to manage the tension. As much as we need to nurture our inner peace, we cannot escape the responsibility to think about change at all levels and of all kinds, both as threats and as opportunities.
For example, what could the following broad-scale changes mean for your work organisation:
- By 2030 the middle class will represent 60% of the world population, up from 26% in 2009, of which 66% will be living in China
- Globally, 74% of people agree that inequality is bad for society overall
Africa will gradually replace Asia as the region with the highest urban growth rate - Globally, 66% of people worry that companies can access their posts on social networking sites for information about goods and services they’ve purchased
- After healthcare and personal lifestyle choices, climate change is the most pressing uncertainty for people
- The growth of businesses with intangible assets representing potential revenue, for example, Uber and airbnb (roughly 87 per cent of the value of S&P500 companies in 2015 was in intangible assets)
- 80% of people across the world agree that it is more important to have a good work-life balance than to have a successful career
- Remote work between 2005 and 2017 increased by 159% (imagine the increase since the start of the Covid pandemic!)
- 70% of people want to work for an organisation “with a powerful social conscience”
For more trends go here
Author: Dr Gerhard van Rensburg
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