HOW CAN DEVELOPED ECONOMIES SUSTAIN THEIR STATUS? (WIP) - Updated: 8/20/15
This is an interesting question that I have been asking to myself. Though the solution for each country is not going to be the same, as I have repeatedly stated before, understanding demographics, incorporating right policies, and most importantly, by electing right, adaptive leaders who can drive the country to prosperity, I believe that developed economies can thrive in this 21st century. If I were to zero in on this question for the United States of America, I believe the following:
It is very simple - By not becoming developing economies - How is this possible?
1. The upcoming election process is going to be an important phase for the country. This election should result in a right, futuristic, visionary leader, who have the ability to bring east and west closer.
2. This leader should also be an experienced administrator, who has gained the respect of her/his peers at the state and/or national level.
3. This leader should be able to play an important role in building strong relationships around the globe, most importantly, in Africa. Africa has so much potential, and this leader should be able to gain the trust and respect of people over there.
4. This leader should be experienced, but also relatively younger to understand the technological landscape. I am not suggesting that this person needs to be an intellect, but should certainly have a good understanding on how technologies impact various stakeholders in the short and long-run.
5. It would be preferable that developing and other developed economies should not think that USA does not have variety, and choice in leaders especially, considering that there are 320 million people now in the country. Moreover, it is common to see only a selected few (dynasties) being part of the administration in developing economies.
Note: In some of the developing economies, some of those selected few tend to have lineage connected to founding fathers/mothers, who played an instrumental role in the progress of the country.
By the way, I always confront with the question, do we need Mahatma, and other great leaders in this modern, evolving world, or would it be sufficient to work towards improving the global system through right policies, and adaptive leaders in this civilized, technologically-leveled world? - Wait for this story
6. May be, it is also time to have a woman president considering that women form the majority now.
7. This leader should also represent the diversity seen in the country with the forecast that more than 50% of the population being mixed race by 2050.
8. Last, but the most important one being the ability to come up with realistic, educational reforms where the majority of the population (independent of ethnicity or gender) have relevant and meaningful education that gives them confidence to face adversity straight on, preferably without compromising on integrity.
For that matter, the terms, majority and minority can be changed based on the group that we are in.
Note: Educational graduation rates for Bachelor's degree is right now around 30% in the country.
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By the way, I was asked once whether intellects can become global leaders?
After going over various stories of the past, and the present, the answer that comes to my mind is that "intellect" is simply a word coined by others, and has formed part of the dictionary. The actual question should be, what kind of a leader is essential for countries, corporations, organizations etc?
If we were to look at the founding fathers/mothers of any nation, most of them were polymath, who specialized in various areas, and were also humble. If we were to extrapolate to business leaders, I would go with Mr. Collins thought of being a level-5 leader. Please check out Jim Collins, Good to great book to know more about level-5 leaders.
Personally, I believe that in a world filled with machine learning tools, and super computers, we, human beings, are at cross-roads where we have to learn multiple areas, (need not be experts, but at least know how various areas are connected) in order to compete in this "Matrix" world. We don't have to become "Neo", or "Renaissance Man", but at least become a changing, self-aware individual who is willing to adaptively learn to be in sync with the changing world. - Wow! What a thought? I am impressed -
Note: Being humble does not mean that you should not market yourself.
My 2 cents thought -
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Added - 7/21/2015
Is America ready for the First Woman President?
When developing nations have seen woman leaders at the helm long time back, it is high time that there is a woman president leading United States of America. Most importantly, at this point in time, USA needs a motherly leadership at the top to take the country forward.
What qualities are essential for this woman president?
I believe that the next four to eight years is going to be crucial for USA in order to take the country through new frontiers. For that reason, this person should have a welcoming perspective about the world, which allows to bridge gaps between countries and continents. Most importantly, this president should be able to strategize and execute right domestic policies in terms of,
a. education
b. economy
c. quality of life (QOL) for the citizens
while building strong international relations.
For that to happen, a forward-thinking, non-convoluted president who has grown ground-up through hard work, education, achievements, and perseverance would be the one preferable to lead the country. It is also important that this president is young enough to understand the nuances of generational gap between younger generations and baby-boomers. One of the essential aspects of bridging this gap would be through devising right policies on the technological front.
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Importance of Education - This graph further supports my earlier suggestion that education should be the primary area of focus. I am not sure how many different Nobel Prizes that I am going to end up getting in the area of Economics :-).
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/08/daily-chart-7 - Troubled Youths (Added on 8/20/15)
