'Conventional wisdom is obsolete'

A new book has been published that puts into words a lot of what we have been thinking.  It turns the traditional view of economic turmoil and recession on its head pointing out that this present climate can be the beginning of something new and innovative for each of us and our businesses.

'The New World Disorder' by Joshua Cooper Camo points out that this is a time of great possibility.  Complexity and change are a given in the new market space, with old ways of doing things and old ideologies giving way to a new practicality.

The result is an ideal time for people to reinvent themselves and their companies  because all ties with the past have been cut.  It is no longer about last year’s sales result, your past history, etc.  That is less relevant now that before, the future is anybody's to create.

Camo points out that revolutions, like that of today, don’t just destroy, they also create – that is; new markets, fortunes and champions.    Those champions see their role as innovation and invention, or what he calls positive disruption.   

It is that disruptiveness that characterizes the most successful business, social and political organization, naming Google to Hizb’allah just to mention two.   And the present environment offers more power to disrupt through invention and reinvention than ever before.   A vital ingredient is a resilience and adaptability that enables disrupters to live with unpredictability and lack of equilibrium.

The present business environment is, for many, terrifying and worrying.  But there is also great opportunity and promise. As Camo emphasizes that this is an incredibly optimistic moment.  So remember 'if change is to slow make it your job to accelerate it'.

The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us And What We Can Do About It by Joshua Cooper Ramo