Excerpt
The Eagle's Secret
1
“Thrivers have a global perspective – they are aware that major forces are transforming the world of work.
A man was called for jury duty and it looked like he might be chosen for a case that would drag on for some time. He asked the judge to excuse him. “We’re very busy at the office,” he exclaimed. “I can’t afford to stay away for an extended period.”
“I see,” said the judge. “You’re one of those people who feel that their organization just can’t function without them. Is that right?”
“Oh, no, your Honor. I know they can get along without me. I just don’t want them to find out.”
If humor reflects the undercurrents of society, many of us readily identify with this story. A friend of mine said: “I hear you’re writing a book about thriving. Well, I hope it’s not full of that carpe diem, seize the day stuff. Let me tell you, by the time I get home from work and get the kids to bed, I’m lucky to have survived the day.”
Reactions like those of my friend could have come from any one of thousands of people. Stress and exhaustion are among the most popular ailments of our time. Fear and anxiety are more prevalent than ever. Cynicism is fashionable. But, surely, this is not what you and I want. Are there other options, however? Is it possible to experience a sense of stability and control over our lives when most of what surrounds us is so clearly beyond our control?
For answers, the search always must begin inwardly, for the circumstances of our lives have as much power as we choose to give them. We need to discover if there is within us a sense of hope or, at least, a speck of faith that life has greater possibilities. For it is faith and hope that spark the strength and energy to persist, to push on toward a better life. For Vaclav Havel, the Czechoslovakian poet and playwright, the stresses and strains of feeling out of control were a persistent part of his daily life. Havel was imprisoned for his stand against communism, yet he emerged victorious to become the first president of his liberated country. “Life is too precious,” Havel stated, “to permit its devaluation by living pointlessly, emptily, without meaning, without love, and, finally, without hope.”
If faith and hope exist, even if just faintly flickering, our vision of thriving is attainable.
Charting our course, however, will require a different map, a new and greatly expanded perspective of how we see the world and our place in it. We must make a significant leap in our consciousness and knowledge, for ignorance is a major contributor to feelings of being powerless over our circumstances.
We must know much more about the world’s economic systems and ecological systems. We need a greater understanding of other nations and their people, how they think, what they value. We must develop new skills and competencies, for our value to those whom we serve is coming under ever greater scrutiny. Above all, we need to know much more about ourselves and the inherent power we have to create what we want for our lives.
The circumstances of our lives have as much power as we choose to give them.
David McNally
In other words, if life is to be more than mere existence, if we are to move from survivor to thriver, it will not be through chance or good luck, it will be because we purposefully sought to understand and learn about what, with ever increasing momentum, is transforming the world around us.
But where should we begin?
Perhaps the most relevant place might be the most pragmatic, the issues and circumstances that affect our financial well-being. How will I pay my bills? What is the future of my career, my company, my industry, my country? These are questions that deserve answers. And, even if those answers are not ideally what we would like to hear, if they provide an honest assessment of where we stand, we can determine the actions we need to take to move in the direction we wish to go.
Here then is where we are today and where we undoubtedly will be for a considerable time into the future. A new world order is developing. Boundaries, borders, and businesses are on the move making fundamental shifts from which there is no turning back. These shifts are causing an economic earthquake of global proportions. “The world’s landscape is unobstructed,” said John Van Doom in a recent World Business magazine editorial, “the view is, if imperfect, excellent. No wall, no river, no bureaucracy, no chauvinistic principles, can block it.”
Understanding the forces contributing to this economic earthquake is a vital first step in learning how we might best respond and benefit from them. The most dominant forces are:
TECHNOLOGY — now expanding at warp speed. This is pushing us all back to school with no graduation date in sight.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION — on an unprecedented scale. This is demanding we produce an ever higher quality in both products and services.
COMMUNICATIONS — which have created a global village. What is happening, as it happens, in the lives and cultures of those who cohabit our planet is available twenty-four hours a day in our living rooms.
The implication of these forces is significant. In brief, the world is more open and transparent. More specifically, values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, and prejudices are all more visible, more exposed, and more subject to question and challenge. It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid or “hide” from one’s responsibilities. Politicians are being held accountable for their actions. Businesses are being put under a microscope. Individual contributions are being measured by more and more organizations.
In his book The 12 New Rules for Living, Frederic M. Hudson says: “Global change is the major reality for everyone on earth today. Rule: Don’t whine! Pursue the benefits of chaos. They outnumber the problems.” As our desire is to thrive not whine, what else do we need to understand in order to boldly enter this turbulent, yet opportunity-filled, environment?
When reality confronts our notion of what reality should be, reality always wins.
John Roger and Peter McWilliams
Just as there are more nations participating in the Olympic Games today than at any other time in history, more nations than ever are investing heavily in their infrastructures and economies so that their products and services can compete in the great game of business. A BusinessWeek editorial stated: “Billions of people are joining the world economy, not as beggars but as producers. A new economic order is being born. Eventually, the entire world should share the bounty of this new order.”
The global economy is now such a reality and so advanced that there is clearly no turning back. We are, unquestionably, participating in an Olympics of Business. In other words, just as there are thousands of hungry young athletes itching to make the big time, so are there millions of people around the world with a burning desire to create the prosperity so prevalent and visible in the developed nations.
Now, while some would respond to that BusinessWeek prediction of abundance and prosperity with enthusiasm, many would prefer Woody Allen’s idea of reassurance: “If God would only give me some clear sign! Like making a deposit in my Swiss bank account.” Like me, however, if you have neither a Swiss bank account nor are inclined to make such requests of God, how might we best prepare ourselves to get our share of this coming bounty? First, by reemphasizing that any failure to deepen our understanding of the transformational forces now in play is a clear path to economic and career suicide.
During a recently televised conference for journalism students, the following statistic was discussed: Only 15 percent of the American public is interested in foreign news. What are the consequences of such a large group of people remaining ignorant of what is happening in the rest of the world?
Once more the Olympics provide a powerful analogy. Consider a coach or competitor from any nation who spends little, if any, time studying or learning about the competition. He or she has no idea of the strengths and weaknesses, speed, resilience, history, favorite strategies, attitudes, and size of the opponents. Can you now imagine how difficult it would be for this person to succeed? Today knowledge of the competition from high school to the pros is a key component of the formula for winning.
The proliferation of international trade agreements in every corner of the world provides undeniable evidence as to the course most nations have chosen. The Olympics of Business is definitely in play but with one important caveat: Unlike the Olympic Games, business does not have the luxury of four-year intervals to rest, recuperate, and prepare. In fact, new world records are being showcased everyday as competition raises the bar and customers raise their expectations.
To compete effectively organizations, large and small, are rapidly becoming more agile, creative, and responsive. Work is being redesigned radically with teams of people able and willing to anticipate, collaborate, negotiate, and innovate. And if that’s not all, the commitment of each team member is being measured by the quality of his or her work.
