Beating the Global Odds

About the Author

Paul A. Laudicina, a distinguished thought leader and the CEO of A.T. Kearney, has crafted a masterpiece with Beating the Global Odds: Successful Decision-Making in a Confused and Troubled World. Laudicina’s vast experience in global management consulting and his role as the founder and chairman of the firm's Global Business Policy Council have endowed him with unique insights into the challenges and opportunities of our times. This book is a testament to his dedication to helping leaders navigate the complexities of the modern world.

Main Idea

In Beating the Global Odds, Laudicina offers a roadmap for business leaders and individuals to cut through the noise of the 21st century. He argues that while the proliferation of information can overwhelm, it also provides unprecedented opportunities for innovation and leadership. The key is to harness these opportunities by embracing values-based leadership, scenario planning, and a global vision. The book emphasizes the importance of clarity, purposeful action, and the courage to innovate in a rapidly changing world.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Widening Your Lens
3. Mastering Scenario Planning
4. Values-Based Leadership
5. Four Possible Scenarios for the Next Decade and Beyond
6. Conclusion

Introduction

In today’s society, a swirl of businesses, governments, organizations of all kinds, and individuals has been rendered confused and paralyzed by a multitude of shocks, crises, and high-speed changes that we are all more familiar with than we'd like to be. A technology-driven and connected world has exponentially increased our inputs and choices. At the same time, there is a lack of a fundamental, shared sense of purpose on which people and organizations can build things that last—inspiring and sparking actions that will yield longer-term benefits both within and across borders.

We can't, nor would we want to, turn back the tide of connective technologies. Instead, we need to leverage them to solve the very problems they helped spawn. Information Technology 1.0 has enabled a transaction-based society in which "the deal" became more important than the value it drove or the relationships it was based on. And so this decoupling of wealth creation from value creation is at the heart of today's increasingly angry, divided, alienated, and atomized societies. In this environment, individuals have retreated from integration, seeking refuge in the realities of their identity: nationality, ethnicity, religion... Yet we know that narrow thinking impedes innovation. And innovation drives value creation, which in turn drives wealth generation. Wealth generation enriches businesses, governments, societies, and individuals. And we know that diversity of ideas and inclusion of people drive innovation, which in turn are extended by further advances in technologies that span time and space.