It depends really on the US’ ability to recognize that the type of world leader required in the last century is quite different than the world leader that is needed in the 21st century. Just as in business, what qualifies as effective leadership changes over time as the constituents being led change not only demographically, but also in what they value the most. Successful leaders of the 21st century will be the ones that are more inclusive than exclusive; the ones put their egos aside; the ones that lead more by relationships than through control; the ones that recognize that every person and every country has their own story and though on a different scale they may in fact be doing the best they can. Leaders of the future are not afraid to give credit where it is due, and in some cases they must step aside and let others lead.
Last week I attended the US-China Business Forum Green Texas 2009 in Austin Texas, organized by the US Department of Commerce, US Chamber of Commerce, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, among others. The overwhelming take-away for organizations wanting to take advantage of the tremendous business opportunities in China was that you must be willing to make a long term commitment that is centered on relationships, alliances, trust, and respect. If you think you are going in as the big, intelligent, egotistical American, you will likely be in for a big disappointment. We heard from folks that have done business in China for decades and newcomers that are still on their journey, and the most successful are open, respectful, and go in knowing that they will learn a lot from the Chinese. It can be a wonderful win-win for both countries.
We may not always agree with the ways of the Chinese government, but the reality is that they are doing a lot more than the US in getting the world’s economy back on its feet. They may not have an open political system, but they are very far along in an open economy and that is a massive step forward and certainly one in the right direction. They may have substantial environmental issues to contend with, but considering where they started, they are definitely moving forward. We cannot support immoral activity, but we can and should, in my opinion, support what they are doing well and their commitment to an open economy. Political change will eventually come from within when the growing middle class become large enough and courageous enough to speak up for what they want. Listening to a talk on China by James Mills of the Economist, this growing middle class and the political implications it may bring is a big concern for the Chinese government.
It would not surprise me if China eventually leads the world in the rate of environmental change. They are starting at a much lower position than the rest of the developed world, and they will be able to leapfrog the stage we are in and go directly to the latest technologies with the best results. Despite the large size of their country, their ability to make large sweeping changes is greater than any democracy because they simply lay out the new rules and begin demanding change. I am certainly no advocating communism, but it is hard to ignore that in the case of environmental clean up in China it will likely be very effective. My personal opinion is that slowly over many decades China will continue to take on more and more democratic practices in an effort to maintain peace and stability within their own country.
If we do not keep our eyes open, acknowledge and embrace the changes that our own country needs, and are not willing to support other countries in their struggles to become leaders themselves, we will miss the proverbial boat. We will wake up one day and realize that the US is behind the times and has lost an important and powerful opportunity to continue to lead the world to success, out of poverty, and to a peaceful existence.
We must be proud of countries like Brazil, and be proud that they have one the recent bid for the 2016 Olympics. Though we all wanted Chicago to be chosen, if we dig deep down in our hearts, we know that Brazil needed it much more than we did. They now have a goal to work toward to clean up some of the violence, and prop up some of the infrastructure. I only wish we could have see that before and perhaps graciously asked that Brazil be the winner. Instead, we have confirmed what much of the world thinks of America; that we are selfish and sometimes a bit of a bully. What a lost opportunity!
According to last week’s Economist (special report on Brazil), “Brazil has long been known as a place of vast potential. It has the largest freshwater supplies, the largest tropical forests, land so fertile that in some places farmers manage three harvests a year, and huge mineral and hydrocarbon wealth. Brazil could easily be one of the 5 largest economies sometime this century. Shouldn’t we be asking them what they would like to create and how can we help? Instead we always seem to be saying, “Here’s what you need to do.” Shouldn’t we be helping our own entrepreneurs do more business with Brazil? A strong and successful Brazil means wealth and stability for a large chunk of South America . . . and that has to be good for the spread of democracy and the globally interdependent economy.
It’s clear that later on in the century the US may loose it’s first place standing in some measures, or at least loose it’s massive lead. We can either sit around worrying about how we can keep our edge in whatever measurement the media is focused on at the moment, or we can become true global leaders and help our comrades become leaders themselves and in their own right.
This is the exact same struggle that large corporations are facing today. They can continue their hard-line ways of controlling their employees and making sure that all the decisions are kept close to the chest at the top of the pyramid, or they can realize that tomorrow’s greatest companies will come about through a new kind of leadership. Leaders that genuinely deflect the limelight, constantly support their customers and employees, and believe in people enough that their full potential shines through. These are the companies that will attract the best and brightest employees that design and develop the best products and services. People will gravitate to companies where they can become themselves at the office and aren’t forced to go down a certain path or abide by a certain set of rules.
As the US learns how to help countries without dictating, and listens to what they really need, and has the compassion to put others first on occasion, then, and only then, will we deserves to be the leader the world can truly look up to.
It’s simple really. When you gain their trust and have compassion, then you have a chance to really create a positive influence. Without trust, you will, at best, maintain the status quo.
If your company is following suit in a growing trend and starting an Innovation campaign, beware of the pitfalls. Many companies assume they can create a few goals, advertise the idea, provide a bit of training, and expect that greatness will appear.
