Five questions I have been asked about the future and how to be part of the transformation that surrounds us

What’s changing? How should our way of leading evolve and how can our companies not only be adaptive but also create, rather co-create the future? How do you define yourself and what makes you happy? Cristina Bustamante recently asked me a few questions that I hope will spark some thinking and action in your own leadership.

QUESTION: Do you notice a greater awareness of the role of business in contributing to a better future for many?

A few years ago talking to large, medium and small companies about their role and their opportunity to lead sustainability and purpose (two of my passions) a momentary desire was ignited but immediately their mind and their decisions became “very interesting but now let’s talk about important things”.

It was only about 5–3 years ago that an important mind shift has taken place. The leaders of most companies have evolved from a “green or purpose — washing” knowing that it was an approach that their stakeholders wanted.

They are now in “green or purpose — wishing” mode with a sincere desire to BE a good company.

This new consciousness, and desire, is due to three pressures:

1. Internal pressures of more demanding employees. People, especially the youngest but not only, who demand a workplace that is worth working in.

2. external pressures of a society demanding that companies move from being the problem to being the solution.

3. Legal pressures of increasingly strict and demanding laws on issues of sustainability, emissions, circularity.

QUESTION: What can we do to make society better?

I propose we ENJOY our opportunity to create meaningful impact.

That our attitude go from being one of “I should do things right”, evolving to “I want to have a positive impact” to an even more powerful “I want to enjoy being the protagonist of the change we all need.”

The level of energy, innovation, capacity for collaboration and co-creation that emanates from this third stage of enjoyment is something that I have seen and live daily and that I can say to be a form, a status of ideal personal and organisational being.

The wear and tear of continuous criticism or the suggestion that someone else would have to do something about issues around us “the government should …” “the multinational should …” “the neighbour should…” is exhausting. Above all, it does not reach any positive output. It’s frustrating.

Taking control of what we can do and above all co-create, uniting our passion for action with meaning with that of others is a very powerful force and above all allows us to live our lives well : that is priceless.

QUESTION: How do you see the future?

For sure complex, uncertain and changing at an increasingly intense speed.
Now some, reading this, might react as “My God what have I done to live in this era” and despair.

Interestingly, there are other people who are excited about reading this. “We will finally be able to change what needs to be changed and create new rules of the game, better rules. We have the opportunity to fix a broken system.”

But most of them I imagine that they will be in the middle between“this is going to be tough” and “great new possibilities”.

For sure between one black swan and another (COVID, Ukraine … and whatever comes next) we have never had such a chance of taking control and deciding our futures. In terms of information, informal education and learning opportunities, possibilities to create totally new and disruptive and necessary business models have never been so great.

So I offer three priorities to create a future that we like, living this transition well:

1. Understand what is important to us, as individuals and as a company.
As Luis Mateos Keim recently wrote
“That each us find that balance between who we are, what we do and what we want to be”

2. Take control, and decide to create the future, not just observe it created by others

3. Better yet to CO-create it, looking for and finding or creating communities, tribes of diverse and varied people but with our same values and idea of what is important. “Together we are a force for good” is what unites companies B Corp. Within this movement, things happen from this tribe that I have never seen happen throughout my decades … “trying to save the world.”

QUESTION: What is your idea of happiness?

My idea of happiness is to serve.

Serving makes you happy.

Not leading, that requires a lot of energy, creates a lot of expectation that you can lead, “Will I be a good leader?” Increases our pressure.

But to serve. Be at the service of those around you. Actively seek who to serve. Also be smart, decide to serve not everyone, too much energy required, but smartly identify and engage with the people and communities that are the most powerful levers of change. Serve people and communities that have your same values and live them actively.

Put yourself at the service of these groups by helping them to be the maximum expression of the potential they have and thus creating the maximum (positive) impact in the world, or at least in your world: this is happiness!

QUESTION: How do you define yourself?

I light fires. 😁
A motivator who thanks to his Baha’i spirituality is very aware of all his limitations and has found the way to accompany positive impact wherever it can be found.

A man in beta, in continuous evolution and with a great curiosity that always keeps me awake and attentive in looking for opportunities, ideas, levers and above all people with whom to co-create futures that we like in this new era of collaboration and hope that we need and that is emerging.