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PERSONAL POSITIONING FOR TOMORROW'S CHALLENGES. "THE RIGHT STUFF”. 9/4/2010 @ Taylor's University College. Steven C.M. Wong Assistant Director-General Institute of Strategic and Internation al Studies (ISIS) Malaysia steve@isis.org.my. Overview. World awash in money.
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PERSONAL POSITIONING FOR TOMORROW'S CHALLENGES "THE RIGHT STUFF” 9/4/2010 @ Taylor's University College Steven C.M. Wong Assistant Director-General Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia steve@isis.org.my
World awash in money Easy but not painless: Easy money, fiscal spending-led recovery; wealth illusion on a grand scale; value unhinged; speculation & risk management industry • Liberalisation globalisationfinancialisation • Inflated asset & commodity prices • Awesome pay packets for the few • Massive resource misallocation – capital hoarding • Shifting of liabilities to the next (your) generation >>VALUES, BELIEFS & ATTITUDES<<
World of tensions & tradeoffs Fractious times: Convergence of geoeconomic and geopolitical concerns; highly advanced economies also most highly indebted; trade, investment, currency battles; rise of economic nationalism. • End of the public debt road approaches • Strong arming to appease domestic voters • Unemployment – employment trends are worrying • Shift of centre of economic gravity to Asia • Decoupling myth - someone kill this please >>COGNITIVE ABILITIES<<
World competing for supremacy Strategic maneuvering: Business concentration through global M&A. Splitting up of value chain. Technology race replacing conventional arms race. • Control of capital vs. capital controls • Investment decisions vs. industry leadership • Management across borders (i.e. diversity) • Multiple skill sets required • Organization & project management >> KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS <<
Behavioural imperatives Howard Gardner, Five Minds for the Future, Harvard Business School Press: Boston, Mass, 2007
Behavioural Imperatives Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee, Primal Leadership, Harvard Business School Press: Boston, Mass. 2004
Personal positioning • Norms • Habits • Cause-and-effect • Morality & ethics • Sacrifice • Cooperation • Sharing • Participation • Competition • Competition • Goal-setting • Achievement
Personal positioning • Values, belief & attitudes are ‘given’; form or be formed; set/reset anchors; invest wisely • Opinions count but are not all that count; age of ‘instant’ experts; instead question & reflect • Excellent communication expected but not enough; talk is getting cheaper by the day • Mental agility must take its place alongside values, ability & knowledge; otherwise ‘misguided’ missiles result • Predigested and prepackaged knowledge is creating parrot & ‘cut-and-paste’ generation’; be creative “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” -W. Buffett
Personal positioning • Look for opportunities to practice & perfect your crafts; take shortcuts at your own cost • Remember cultural capital: language, norms, etc. Key word is resonate • Don’t underestimate power of the Internet but don’t overestimate it ; blogs, tribes, Facebook, etc. • Be practical; identify mentors, enlist co-conspirators; network allies & partners, resonate • Any endeavour or change will encounter resistance & apathy; master cooperation; expect & engage “Success if not final, failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts” – W. Churchill
Personal positioning • 1. | Conduct a time inventory/audit; understand self first; discover conflicting goals; time traps • 2. | Devise personal information acquisition & reflection strategies (and not just text books & blogs either) • 3. | Get interested, get energised, get informed, get out there • 4. | Take consistent & concerted personal & group action Thank you for inviting me to share