His true legacy is that he made the digital analogue. He turned ‘stuff’ into enduring delight. And what one business would have seen as irrelevant, expensive design detail, he made glorious, emotional connectivity. ~

.

His Legacy

In countless tributes to Steve Jobs, Apple devotees are understandably praising him for redefining several consumer electronics categories — the computer, the mouse, the MP3 player, the smartphone and the tablet.

Apple’s sleek devices resonate with users through all the noise and clutter of their lives, whether they’re in Johannesburg, Shanghai or São Paulo.

But Jobs’ impact extends beyond Apple’s wildly successful product line. Jobs not only raised the bar on consumer electronics, he transformed the discipline of design. Due to the universal appeal of his work, he revolutionized the way designers everywhere approach their work.

The gift of flow

Jobs’ most singular gift was his knack for untangling the complex engineering layer in technology to provide a seamless user experience. His devices give their users “flow” — the ineffable state of being fully absorbed as described by psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi (Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, 1990).

By blending artfulness with precision engineering, Jobs brought us experiences that engage both the left and right brains while appealing to the mind and the senses. In the process, he altered what we want and expect from technology.

Experience designer

Jobs’ impact on design is monumental. As a result of their experiences with his work, a critical mass of designers across every conceivable category has shifted the locus of their attention from the components inside the device to the quality of the user experience. This decidedly human-centic approach, known as Experience Design, is being applied to a growing number of products and services.

Steve Jobs’ genius, determination and uncompromising standards inspired an influential design movement. His paradigm will undoubtedly dominate the field of design for the foreseeable future.

***

Images: Courtesy of Apple Inc.

Here is a Design Week – UK  on Jobs’ impact on design, and Yves Béhar’s piece “Steve Jobs Changed My Life”.

Addendum:  An audio interview (NPR, 10/7) with John Maeda, President – Rhode Island School of Design, about Jobs’ influence on design.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The misdeeds of Africa’s despots get plenty of media attention because they fit a Western “plug-n-play” narrative about the region. Conversely, the work of Africa’s exemplary leaders is often overlooked.

I’d offer the story of an extraordinary African leader determined to improve the quality of life in her nation. She is Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was recently appointed Nigeria’s Finance Minister.

During a previous stint in that role, she compiled a stunning record of economic reform. She was the first woman to serve as her country’s Finance Minister and as its Foreign Minister.

She’s an inveterate disruptor of the status quo who is guided by a vision for what’s possible and a zeal for instigating change.

Stories like hers give rise to an emergent narrative that’s being written by Africans. As she puts it, “This is the Africa of opportunity. This is the Africa where people want to take charge of their own futures and their own destinies.”

The Journey

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has championed economic reform in her native Nigeria and on a global stage. Before accepting the job of Finance Minister for the second time, she served as the World Bank’s Managing Director. Her remarkable record of achievement is due to a formidable blend of intellect, creativity and steely tenacity.

Okonjo-Iweala tells the story of growing up in the Delta State near the Niger River during the Nigeria-Biafra war in the late 60′s. Her father fought on the Biafra side during the conflict as the family struggled to survive. At age fifteen, while her mother was ill, her three-year old sister became stricken with malaria.

She placed her sister on her back and walked 10 kilometers to a clinic. When they arrived, hundreds of people were queued at the entrance. Instead of waiting, Okonjo-Iweala made her way to the side of the building and climbed in through a window. “I knew if she didn’t get help she’d die.”

A doctor gave the baby a shot of chloroquine and re-hydrated her. Within hours, her sister had recovered. “The ten kilometers home with her on my back — that was the shortest walk of my life.”

Okonjo-Iweala’s journey had only begun. She went on to earn an undergraduate degree at Harvard and a Ph.D. in regional economics and development at MIT.

‘Trouble Woman’

Okonjo-Iweala was the mother of four children when she began her first stint as Finance Minister in 2003. Soon, she became known for rooting out corruption and making government more transparent.

She led a series of reforms including decoupling the country’s budget from the price of oil, Nigeria’s chief export, to end its perennial liquidity crisis. She led investigations into government corruption and sacked crooked officials.

In addition, she streamlined the country’s bloated public sector and led efforts to crack down on its notorious Internet and letter extortion scams. Oil companies were required to publish how much they paid the government.

As a result of her stringent measures, public trust in government skyrocketed and Nigeria became more attractive to foreign investment. While a majority of Nigerians embraced Okonjo-Iweala, she made enemies among the country’s anti-reformists.

“They called me Okonjo-Wahala [a play on her surname] — or Trouble Woman. It means ‘I give you hell’. But I don’t care what names they call me. I’m a fighter; I’m very focused on what I’m doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve. If you get in my way, you get kicked.”

Her tenacity served her well. In 2005, she spearheaded her government’s negotiations with the Paris Club of Creditors to pay down $30 billion USD of the country’s debt including the cancellation of $18 billion USD.

Before resigning her post in 2006, Okonjo-Iweala stabilized Nigeria’s currency and cut its inflation rate from 28 percent to about 11 percent. The country’s GDP grew to over 6 percent from 2.3 percent in the prior decade. She strengthened the country’s banks and recovered millions of dollars in stolen assets.

The Mandate

After leaving office, Okonjo-Iweala continued fighting for developing countries at the World Bank raising a record $49.3 billion USD through the Institutional Development Fund. She also had oversight of the Bank’s special food crisis fund helping countries impacted by high and volatile food prices. More than 40 million people in 44 countries around the world benefit from the fund.

Okonjo-Iweala reached her latest milestone on August 17, 2011 when Nigeria’s new president, Goodluck Jonathan, swore her in for her second term as Finance Minister.

This time she has a mandate for extirpating corruption. As a condition to accepting the job, she was granted expanded control over all aspects of the economy including oversight of its ministers.

Okonjo-Iweala’s job won’t be easy. Her mandate comes with lofty expectations. Nigeria’s growth rate remains high but much of its population of 140 million still lives on under $2 a day. Institutional corruption is pervasive.

“The expectation, not just for Nigerians but for the whole world, is quite high,” President Jonathan observed at her swearing in, according to AllAfrica.com.

“People expect so much from you. Some feel that you have the magic wand to change everything. I believe with your level of experience and the support we will give you and the cooperation of your colleagues, all of you collectively, will help to change our own country.”

***

Headshot images: Courtesy of the World Bank/IMF Archives

…………………………………….

Want more info on this subject?

Here’s Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s engaging ’07 TED Talk and a video clip in which she talks about facing Nigeria’s generals after recommending sizable defense spending cuts to fund education.

One of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s focus issues, not mentioned in the post, is South-South cooperation, i.e. fostering trade among developing nations.

“I Keep My Ego in My Handbag”, Guardian piece on  Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s career, work ethic and family life. 

“Is Okonko-Iweala the DeFacto Prime Minister? AllAfrica.com op-ed (9/4/11).

Related but interesting:

Her son, Uzodinma Iweala, is the author of a critically acclaimed novel, Beasts of No Nation (2005). (Here is an audio reading by the author.)

Background:

Recommended for readers interested in Nigerian history – Peter Cunliffe-Jones’ crisp account, My Nigeria – Five Decades of Independence (2010).

.

Related posts:

1. Song of Africa “It’s not a picture of a dark continent but...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Using a longer lens

It’s been twenty years since the publication of Peter Schwartz’s insightful primer about scenario planning, The Art of the Long View. In the book, Schwartz makes a convincing case for using scenario planning in approaching strategic challenges of various kinds.

Schwartz, who led scenario planning efforts at Shell, Motorola, and Pacific Gas and Electric, concluded that the technique could be applied to handling the emergent complex threats that companies were confronting in the 90′s.

Since then, the world has grown radically more complex, more uncertain. Globalization and the Internet have woven together our institutions so that a crisis in one corner of the world can spread virally with far-reaching consequences.

Cascading consequences

We now live in a world where an unknown street vendor in an obscure Tunisian village sets himself on fire and a few weeks later the dictatorial regime in Egypt collapses. Those events triggered spiraling oil prices which boosted worldwide food and commodity prices with a cascade of far-reaching consequences.

While leaders can’t predict the next cataclysmic event, they must now contend with a wider range of plausible, discontinuous threats. Failure to do so can imperil their institutions.

In a world where traditional, linear thinking is inadequate, scenario planning is a platform for enabling problem solvers to explore the question: “Given what we know, and what we don’t know, what should we do now?”

That’s a significant question, but it’s not enough to simply ponder significant questions. Problem-solvers must also overcome the internal barriers – psychological as well as physical – which can paralyze organizations when the stakes are high. Scenario planning provides a context for examining assumptions and biases, and for avoiding the denial that ensues when facing existential threats.

Schwartz observes, “When decision-makers begin to look at the future, denial acts as an automatic shut-off valve: ‘I can’t consider that…’ A good scenario asks people to suspend their disbelief long enough to appreciate its impact.”

The Singapore Miracle

One of the more celebrated scenario planning cases is the Singapore story. That nation’s government first used the technique to help build its nascent entrepreneurial society in the 70’s and 80’s, and later to cope with a string of discontinuous shocks that threatened its economy including the Asian financial crisis of the 90’s.

Since then, Singapore has embedded the technique in its strategic planning efforts. Scenario thinking helped its leaders to recognize that in a region increasingly dominated by its giant neighbor, China, their nation must become an innovative technology hub. (Singapore’s mantra says it best: Anticipate change, stay relevant.) As a result, the government is investing $12 billion USD in technology R & D over five years — a 20% spending increase — to attract gifted engineers and entrepreneurs.

Lessons from the field

My own experience with scenario planning in a variety of settings has been overwhelmingly positive. It remains one of the more advanced tools in the strategic arsenal. My appreciation of the practice has only grown over time.

I’ve learned this: Convene the right problem-solvers under the right circumstances and they’ll reach a shared understanding, despite differences in perspective. Scenario planning helps organizations to recognize threats, opportunities and weak signals, and it often leads to practical solutions that everyone in the room can support.

When The Art of the Long View was published in ’91, scenario planning was deemed a novel technique for organizations facing rare and unusually complex issues. Today, most of our pressing challenges are laced with complexity — that’s our new reality.

If we’re going to prepare for what’s next, let’s bring in our sharpest minds and give them the tools to move the enterprise forward. I’m pleased to report that scenario planning is still the right tool for the job.

***

.

As always, I’d appreciate hearing your views…

Want more info on this subject?

1. One of the more interesting critiques of Schwartz’s book is found in a video dialogue between Niall Ferguson and Schwartz
2. Here’s an insightful talk (video clip), The Singapore Miracle & Gov 2.0, by Peter Ho, Singapore’s former head of civil service, who explains his country’s work with scenario planning. Peter Schwartz is also featured
3. More on scenario planning is at Global Business Network (GBN), co-founded by Schwartz
4. Have a look at the World Economic Forum’s on-going scenario planning initiatives
5. Mats Lindgren’s ’09 book, Scenario Planning–The link between future and strategy
6. Bonus: An hour with Lee Kuan Yew, former PM-Singapore and author of ‘From Third World to First : The Singapore Story: 1965-2000′  on Charlie Rose (3/28/11)
7. Here’s a look at the Decision Support practice at my company, Osprey.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Distinguished scholar and visionary

The distinguished business scholar, C. K. Prahalad, died unexpectedly last week of a lung ailment at the age of 69. His contributions to the pursuit of business strategy and innovation are unparalleled.  He’s had an enormous influence on my work and that of my peers.

Dr. Prahalad was more than a celebrated management guru, he was a visionary.  He redefined the way that a growing number of global businesses deal with developing markets, and he helped to shape a new economic paradigm.

The Indian-born Prahalad received his doctorate from Harvard and taught at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, but he never strayed far from contemplating the social and economic issues that affected his native India.

A recurring theme in his work concerned the centrality of the customer in today’s global, interconnected marketplace. He urged business leaders to “co-create” or develop products in tandem with their customers.

During the much of his career, his focus was on corporate strategy at multinational enterprises. Among his  notable works were “The Core Competence of the Corporation” (Harvard Business Review, May-June, 1990), and a 1994 book,  Competing for the Future, both of which which he co-wrote with Gary Hamel.

The Bottom of the Pyramid

However, C. K. Prahalad is best known for his 2004 book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits.  In that work, he argued that businesses stand to reap benefits from serving the world’s poorest people or those at “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BoP) who live on $2 or less per day and who comprise a majority of the world’s population.

“Four billion poor can be the engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity,” he wrote.  “If we stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.”

His view of serving consumers in emerging markets, or “inclusive capitalism”, was eye-opening for many business leaders who had long ignored the needs of the poor and, in so doing, missed important opportunities.

Accessible and affordable products

Dr. Prahalad identified several obstacles in serving BoP consumers. For example, he observed that poor consumers typically have unpredictable income streams and they subsist on daily wages. They tend to buy only when they have money on hand, and only what they need that day.

Accordingly, he pointed out that single-serve packaging, for items like shampoo, condiments, tea and coffee, and aspirin, is well suited to this population, noting that a single-serve revolution is sweeping BoP markets.

In order to make products accessible and affordable for BoP consumers, Dr. Prahalad challenged business leaders to re-think traditional value chains by determining which components can be outsourced and which need to be “centralized” to minimize costs while maintaining quality.

Dr. Prahalad also recognized that emerging markets are “laboratories” for innovation.  He argued that reverse or “trickle up” innovation — goods and services made in and for developing markets — can transform industries in developed markets.

Examples  of “trickle-up” innovations include micro-lending, mobile-banking (“M-banking”), low-cost mobile phones, low cost hotels, and even car manufacturing where Tata Motors’ Nano – a car made for Indian consumers that sells for $2,000 USD – is slated to be sold in developed markets.

Lessons learned

Western businesses have only begun serving BoP markets, but a growing number of us are learning from consumers and entrepreneurs in developing markets about how to restructure our own business models.  The lessons we’re learning about lean manufacturing and virtual distribution chains from BoP markets are already transforming global markets.

The most profound change that we in the West have in serving BoP consumers is one of attitude. As we drop our assumptions and learn to better understand the needs of low income consumers, we’ll be able to tap the full measure of opportunities that Dr. Prahalad envisaged.

C.K. Prahalad spoke poignantly about how much the developed world can gain from serving and ultimately raising the living standards of people at the base of the Pyramid. He’s inspired my colleagues and me to see both developing markets and consumers through sharper, more accurate lenses, and we owe him an inestimable debt of gratitude.  He’ll be sorely missed.

***

As always I’d appreciate your perspective.

…………………………………………………………….

Want more information about Dr. Prahalad? Here is the Times Of India’s eulogy.

This is an ’07 video clip featuring his discussion of  “the good and not-so-good” news about globalization’s impact on the Bottom of the Pyramid.

This video features an interview with Dr. Prahalad via Thinkers50 which named him “the most influential business thinker in the world” in 2009.  Here is his keynote address to the Acumen Fund Fellows Class of 2009.

I  recommend Dr. Prahalad’s ’08 book, New Age of Innovation, co-written with M. S. Krishnan.

Finally, here are assorted posts on this blog referring to Dr. Prahalad and emerging markets opportunities and issues.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One of the more satisfying experiences at year’s end is reaching out to clients, partners and colleagues to thank them for their business and their stalwart support.  It’s even sweeter this time while reflecting on an entire decade going back to the early days of my business.

We come from different cultures and work backgrounds, but what binds us together is an abiding interest in bringing value to our customers, and clearing the hurdles that come with that mandate.  My mission has been to gain a deeper understanding of  what customers need and designing solutions for delivering it. My commitment to that mission is stronger than ever.

I can’t say for sure what’s next in business trends — no one can — and I’m not offering my top ten predictions. But, if past is prologue, we’ll need to be more imaginative, collaborative, and courageous than ever.  We can and we will, because we must.

Every project offers a fresh opportunity to do something that’s never been done before, and there’s nothing more thrilling that that.  I’m excited about new projects on the horizon waiting to be cracked.

Looking back, trips to developing regions like the sub-Sahara are reminders that we who are fortunate to be doing what we enjoy must recognize the steeper challenges faced by others. We’re obliged to devote a fair portion of our time and resources to reducing the suffering of others.

So, there’s much to be done.  Let’s get on with it…

I wish you a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So, then…let us reflect together for a while, consider what matters, what really matters, and then in our wonderfully separate ways, fare forward together.  ~ James Hollis

It’s the season to reflect on a year that’s winding down before we turn the page. It feels right to look back on the year.  What interesting times these are!  Tom Friedman describes this as a period marked by the collision of two forces, the Great Recession and the Great Inflection – referring to the rise of cheap, plentiful technology.

The good news is that the economy is forcing us to adopt new tools more rapidly, accelerating business innovation. But, more tools bring more “noise”, and decibel levels are soaring. Noise distracts us from focusing on what’s important and we seem to be suffering from a collective case of “focus-deficit disorder”.  I think it’s hampering our performance.

I say this as an unrepentant geek who loves technology as much as anyone. Like so many of my peers, I have slavish attraction to small, shiny objects and the applications they run.  And for the most part, I can endure the noise they make, but I wonder about the impact all the noise is having.

Complaining about the incessant noise has become a national pastime. At a holiday party last week, a friend confided that she seldom has time for talking with her kids, let alone her clients.  “I’m on a treadmill,” she admitted. “And, I can’t slow it down long enough to hop off”.

Who among us can’t relate? At times, the noise is deafening.

We’ve coined metaphors like “signal-to-noise ratio” and “information overload”.   I’m reminded of Clay Shirky’s famous talk, “It’s Not Information Overload. It’s Filter Failure”.  He’s right of course. We need better filters, but the root of the problem is far deeper than the tools can reach.

We’ve met the problem…

It might sound radical, but the noise isn’t the problem, it’s the excuse. To the extent that noise is bothersome, we’re the problem. We make choices — conscious or not — every minute of the day about where we place our attention.  We can choose to be distracted, or we can focus on what matters to the people whom we serve.  In any case, the choice is always ours to make.

If we avoid distractions, we can focus on crucial questions: What do our customers value, and do we have what it takes to build and deliver value better than our rivals?  That’s a tough one because if we’re honest, the answer is sometimes “no”.  And, if that’s the case, we have our work cut out.

These big questions can be daunting, so it’s understandable that we’d want to avoid them. It’s easier to let the distractions consume our time and soon we drift away from what’s important.

Here’s the thing: I think that if  we’re committed to what’s important, distractions can actually serve as helpful warnings.  When I’m annoyed by distractions, I’ll try to figure out why I’m choosing to be distracted.  If I’m being honest, I’ll notice that there’s something bigger and thornier that I’m avoiding.

It feels right to step back and reflect on where we’ve been before going forward.  But the time is always now to focus on the signal and not the noise.

The time is always now to rediscover what matters to the people whom we serve. The time is always now to figure out smarter ways to deliver our offerings. And, the time is always now to be accountable to the people we serve, and to the people who serve us.

So, before we turn the page, let’s take this moment to reflect on where we focused our attention during the last year.  Let’s be fiercely honest about it.  Let’s also know that it’s not too late to focus on what’s most important.

***

As always, I’d love to know your perspective on this topic…

I’m indebted to my friends, Connie Jones and Harry S. Bradley, for their fierce and steadfast commitment to the truth.  This post is dedicated to them.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nearly every day, I work with colleagues who are eight or more time zones away. I’ve been doing this, with few interruptions, since the ‘80s. Back then, “geographically distributed” projects were run only by multinational corporations.  Times have changed.

Global markets have become more interdependent, and collaboration across borders is now commonplace, even at smaller companies.  Businesses know that they have to team up with companies in other regions to compete in the global “value creation” race*.

But a lot of companies struggle with this. In a June, 2009 survey by TMA World, 82% of respondents rated the performance of their company’s “global, virtual” teams as either ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’.  Yet nearly all of those surveyed said that global teams were ‘very important’ to their organizations.

The reason for this disconnect is that going global is a relatively new undertaking for lots of businesses. Many organizations simply haven’t “re-calibrated” for a global marketplace, and they don’t have all the pieces to support a successful global strategy.

“Expert” Advice?

There’s no shortage of advice from experts on how to improve cross-cultural business performance. Their recommendations — depending on what they’re selling — range from adopting more robust collaborative tools to receiving cross-cultural training.  Smart tools and interventions do have their place, but the missing piece at a lot of organizations is experienced talent, particularly at the leadership level.

Organizations interested in thriving on a global stage need leaders with high-level experience in regions where they’re operating, or at least in culturally similar markets.  This is particularly true for companies working in developing regions where business conditions are undergoing rapid change.

The Virtues of Seasoned Leaders

Leaders with relevant international business experience can bring dexterity to handling cultural differences in communications styles, approaches to completing tasks, and ways of handling conflict which can become magnified over the life of a project.

At a tactical (project) level, seasoned leaders with strong relational skills can recognize whether a breakdown in a project stems from a misunderstanding due to cross-cultural differences or from another source.  Seasoned leaders can take proactive steps to help their team to avoid the risks of cross-cultural misunderstanding.

In addition to interpersonal skills they’ve acquired, seasoned leaders can provide context to projects in developing regions where laws, commercial practices, and attitudes toward business are in flux.

Seasoned leaders can bring a rich perspective to multinational projects. Most of us who enjoy working in other markets are deeply interested in these regions. We become intimate with each country — its landscape, history, and politics. We devour every obscure book and report for the sheer joy of learning more, and we’re energized by putting the knowledge to practical use.

Lasting Value

Internationally-seasoned leaders can steer a steady course over the inevitable bumps and around the unexpected curves of cross-cultural projects.  The positive impact can extend across the organization long after the project or campaign has ended. They can help to shape their organization’s culture by passing on their knowledge to the next generation of leaders.

Courses in cross-cultural relations can inform your workers about handling cultural differences. But, there’s no substitute for having leaders who’ve managed high-level assignments in relevant foreign markets. My advice is this: Be sure to add international seasoning to the mix.

***

As always, I’d love to hear your views.  What opportunities and challenges do you see in the global economy, and how do they affect you?

……………………………….

* In their ’08 book, The New Age of Innovation, C.K. Prahalad and M.S. Krishnan use the term R = G (Resources = Global) to describe collaboration across cultures as an imperative: “All firms will access resources from a wide variety of other big and small firms—a global ecosystem”. (I discussed the book here.)

__________________

Want more info on this subject? Here are some recommendations from broad to narrow in focus:

I’d previously recommended Fareed Zakaria’s book, The Post-American World (W.W. Norton & Co., ’08) which makes a compelling case for the rise of developing countries in an increasingly interconnected economy.

Parag Khanna’s book, The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (Random House, 2008), makes a compelling case for understanding the world from the standpoint of Second World countries. I reviewed Khanna’s book  here.

For a variety of books about doing business in cross-cultural settings, check out the resources at Intercultural Press.

INSEAD professor Horacio Falcao discusses how to avoid the pitfalls of cross-cultural negotiations featuring this short video on the subject.  (When do we underestimate vs. overestimate the impact of cross-cultural differences?)

Related post: International Rules of Engagement, April, 15, 2009, and various posts on Emerging Markets topics.

What resources would you recommend?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Several years ago, I discovered Laurence Gonzalez’s (’03) book, Deep Survival – Who Lives, Who Dies and Why about individuals  surviving “do or die” situations.  Recently, I glanced through it again thinking it might be helpful for business people grappling with the challenges of this economy.  I couldn’t put it down.  Now, I’m  convinced of its value for anyone going through any kind of crisis.

Gonzalez studied hundreds of survival stories and presents many of them in his book. He shares tales of people surviving harrowing crashes and others lost in the wilderness.  Fascinated by their travails, he ponders why some people make it, while others perish? What general lessons can we learn from how the survivors behaved?

Gonzalez finds that one of the key features “deep survivors” possess is the capacity to focus on “doing the next right thing”.  Instead of becoming overwrought, survivors accept what’s happening earlier in the process and focus on extricating themselves.  They reason, “Okay, I’m here. This is really happening. Now I’m going to do the next right thing…”

That principle seems straightforward, but grappling with reality during a crisis was harder for the non-survivors. Victims, overcome by fear, were less adept at accepting their situation.

Many victims are prone to hysteria, while others are immobilized. What differentiates “deep survivors” is their ability to convert their emotions to drive reasonable, helpful action.

Surprisingly, the unlikeliest people sometimes prevail while others who are better trained and equipped don’t. Gonzalez tells the story of a teenage girl, Juliane Koepcke, who was with 91 other passengers aboard a plane that went down in the Peruvian jungle.

Most of the others stayed by the plane thinking it was the right course of action. Isn’t that what we’re told to do in a situation like that? But many of the “rule followers” died waiting to be rescued.  Juliane made a plan to escape through the jungle and she stuck to her plan, eventually meeting up with three hunters who rescued her. Her salvation, according to Gonzalez, was an inner resource, her mindset.

Fear is universal among people in peril. But “deep survivors” like Juliane channel their apprehension into helpful steps.  Gonzalez cites this as one of his “12 rules of survival“.

Deep Survival is gripping despite its being peppered with lots of narrative “switchbacks”.  But, Gonzalez successfully conveys his thesis that it’s not what’s in our backpack that makes the difference, or even what’s in our minds.  It’s something even deeper that counts the most.

Managing a crisis successfully is mostly an inside game. This applies to enduring any kind of peril — being lost in the wilderness, facing a serious illness, or a managing a daunting business crisis. Sooner or later, many of us will likely face a catastrophe of some kind.  If we understand what it takes to produce a better outcome, we stand a better chance of improving our odds.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

.

Over the coarse of the eighteenth century, the Gold Coast produced more than a million slaves, about 15 percent of the total shipped from West Africa… ~Marcus Rediker, The Slave Ship

The first African-American President of the U.S. landed in Accra, Ghana last evening. His first trip to the Sub-Sahara has symbolic significance for many reasons. Many Africans believe that Barack Obama represents the ascendancy of Africa on a global stage, reversing the despair and hardship that’s plagued the continent during the post-colonial era.  They hope that his visit will call attention to the steep challenges and promising opportunities the continent faces.

Ghana is West Africa’s most stable, enduring democracy in a neighborhood where coups have been commonplace.  Obama’s visit is a symbolic endorsement by the administration of the democratic process. But the symbolism doesn’t end there.

On Saturday, the Obamas are heading to the town of Cape Coast where they’ll visit one of the more infamous “slave castles” of the region.   Slave castles like this served as both “factories” and prisons where slaves were kept until they were loaded aboard ships — floating dungeons — bound for the New World.

When I visited the castle during a business trip last year, I was overcome by its horror and unprepared for its impact. The images of those rooms haunted me for days.

It’s difficult to fathom that millions of human beings were “processed” in such a brutal and efficient fashion.  After entering the cramped, airless rooms where  slaves were kept and following their trail of misery to the infamous “Door of No Return,” it’s hard not to be moved.  It’s heart-breaking.

Many politicians and celebrities have used the Cape Coast Castle as a photo-op over the years. But, when the Obamas visit the castle on Saturday, it could feel like a circle has finally been completed. Talk about symbolism.

As always, I’d love to hear your perspective.  Please share your views and insights with my readers and me!

_________________________

Want more on this subject?

Here are images of the Cape Coast region’s two slave castles and its diverse people from my trip there.

> Update (7/11/) Hulu clip on the Obamas visit to the Cape Coast Castle.

A couple great books:

The Slave Ship – A Human History (referenced above), by Marcus Rediker is painstakingly researched and compelling.

The Door of No Return – The History of Cape Coast Castle and the Atlantic Slave Trade by William St. Clair is reviewed by the NYT here.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Stillness, insight, and wisdom arise only when we can settle into being complete in this moment,  without having to seek or hold on to or reject anything.  ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

We often give others the advice that we ourselves need to take to heart.  That goes for recommending books. Keep that in mind while considering my summer reading suggestion, The Mindful Leader- Ten Principles for Bringing Out the Best in Ourselves and Others.

I recognize the value of mindfulness and have meditated intermittently since my college days. But often, I’ve placed my desire to succeed in the corporate world ahead of other interests.  This book, by Michael Carroll, is a reminder to integrate mindfulness into all aspects of one’s life, including work.

Carroll, a Buddhist-trained HR executive, informs us that cultivating mindfulness enables us to be present while attending to our work.  Western business types will likely find his book more accessible than some of the more esoteric books that provide instruction on meditation.

Most people understand that meditation techniques can help reduce stress and burnout.  But practicing mindfulness helps us to rediscover something about being human.  By being present – by noticing the world we inhabit – we tend to bring out the best in ourselves and in others.

“By opening to our experience—without any conditions, hopes or fears—we cultivate the talent of confidence, and expressing such confidence is the key to inspiring a fearless, dignified, and joyful workplace,” says Carroll.

Carroll believes that the simple act of being present requires courage.  I think he’s right. His book is a reminder that the time to hit the reset button is always now.

I’d love to hear your views on this subject. What are your experiences with mindfulness in the workplace?  Do you practice mindfulness meditation?

________________________

Would you like more information?

Michael Carroll discusses this book and demonstrates mindfulness meditation to Google employees in this video.

Suggested reading:  Any of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s books on mindfulness, including my favorite, Coming to Our Senses–Healing Ourselves and the Wolrd through Mindfulness.

One of my favorite authors on this subject is Daniel J. Siegel whose book, The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the the Cultivation of Well Being, delves into the neuroscience of mindfulness.  It’s a superb read for those who want more information on this subject.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The U.S. electorate is about to make its choice. The next president will be tested by an epic global economic downturn and a domestic crisis in leadership.  Even before he takes office, he’ll need to inspire confidence in his approach. He’ll have to build a consensus with leaders of the opposition and will have to choose some of them to join his team.  Governing in this environment will demand extraordinary leadership skills—sound judgment, character depth and an even temperament. 

I’ve been reflecting lately on the virtues of leadership. I’ve thought about how heads of state in the U.S. and around the world have met challenges as vexing as these.    

I keep returning to Jim Collins’ popular book, Good to Great. He analyzes how companies go from being merely good performers to achieving sustainable great performance.  In identifying success factors, he noticed that truly great companies were led by what he termed “Level 5 leaders”—individuals who possess a rare and seemingly contradictory blend of intense drive and humility. Collins observed that these leaders demonstrated an abiding commitment to the long term success of their companies rather than advancing their own personal agendas.

What’s relevant to the U.S. election is that Level 5s used their fierce determination and humility to build consensus around tough, often unpopular choices that brought about radical but necessary changes–something the next president will have to accomplish.              

Interestingly, Collins later observed, “We live in a culture that doesn’t pick Level 5s as subjects of admiration.” He added, “And that’s unfortunate for the business world, as well as the world at large.”

Among U.S. presidents, Lincoln seems have best embodied Level 5 traits. His humility along with his fierce determination to keep the country united guided the tough Lincoln to make tough and, at times, unorthodox decisions.   In her book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin describes how a humble, painfully shy Lincoln forged an administration of his opponents, building a coalition that enabled him to govern during the most perilous time in the nation’s history.   

Collins doesn’t delve extensively into temperment, character or managing style but I’m convinced that these qualities matter to a leader whatever the environment. And in times of crisis, temperament and character are paramount.  

Historically, great leaders made tough choices which were often unpopular at the tinme.  They had their share of failures and missed opportunities, but ultimately they succeeded.  What we learned from their effective stewardship is that leadership matters.  Character and temperment do count.    

By now, most Americans have figured out what they’re looking for in their next president. They’ve seen both men in a wide range of situations and they’ve observed how each has run his campaign during the last 22 months.  Voters will judge both men on the basis of the choices they’ve made, how they’ve articulated their vision, and the kinds of people they’ll consult. 

Whatever the electorate decides tomorrow, one thing is certain, the next president will face challenges as great as any since Washington, Lincoln and FDR.  He’ll need every possible advantage.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.