books
October 2008 
Megatrends 2010:Seven Trends Changing the Landscape of Capitalism
~C4Chaos
(Crossposted from www.c4chaos.com)
The mainstream media is so full of bad news that it makes me want to puke my guts out. Enough!
The world is not going to hell. We are not in the age of Armageddon like wayward evangelists want us to believe. We are not going to be wiped out by global warming. Capitalism is not evil.
In fact, we as a society are getting better. Far from ideal, but getting better.
Yes, Climate change is a serious concern, the Iraq war sucks, terrorism is rampant, poverty is still there. But wars, doomsday scenarios, and poverty have all been there since the dawn of civilization. However, the fact that we're all aware of these things happening simultaneously is a good sign that we are starting to really care about ourselves, our culture, and nature.
"Knowing is half the battle," as the old G.I. Joe mantra goes. If we take the time to shift our attention, we'll see that we actually are becoming more conscious, individually, and socially. And therein lies our collective salvation.
Case in point: Let's shift our attention from corporate scandals and cynicism and look at the changing landscape of Capitalism.
In the book Megatrends 2010, Patricia Aburdene listed seven megatrends that will usher the rise of Conscious Capitalism. Here's an excerpt:
Here's my new list of megatrends, each of which serves as one of this book's chapters.
1) The Power of Spirituality. In turbulent times, we look within; 78% seek more Spirit. Meditation and yoga soar. Divine Presence spills into business. “Spiritual” CEOs as well as senior executives from Redken and Hewlett-Packard (HP) transform their companies.
2) The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism. Top companies and leading CEOs are re-inventing free enterprise to honor stakeholders and shareholders. Will it make the world a better place? Yes. Will it earn more money? That's the surprising part: Study after study shows the corporate good guys rack up great profits.
3) Leading from the Middle. The charismatic, overpaid CEO is fading fast. Experts now say “ordinary” managers, like HP's Barbara Waugh, forge lasting change. How do they do it? Values, influence, moral authority.
4) Spirituality in Business is springing up all over. Half speak of faith at work. Eileen Fisher, Medtronic win “Spirit at Work” awards. Ford, Intel and other firms sponsor employee-based religious networks. Each month San Francisco's Chamber of Commerce sponsors a “spiritual” brown bag lunch.
5) The Values-Driven Consumer. Conscious Consumers, who've fled the mass market, are a multi-billion-dollar “niche.” Whether buying hybrid cars, green building supplies or organic food, they vote with their values. So, brands that embody positive values will attract them.
6) The Wave of Conscious Solutions. Coming to a firm near you: Vision Quest. Meditation. Forgiveness Training. HeartMath. They sound touchy-feely, but conscious business pioneers are tracking results that will blow your socks off.
7) The Socially Responsible Investment Boom. Today's stock portfolios are green in more ways that one. Where should you invest? This chapter charts the “social” investment trend and helps you weigh your options.
In this book's conclusion, The Spiritual Transformation of Capitalism, we explore the underlying values of capitalism. I shall attempt to dispel what I believe is the absurd notion that free enterprise is rooted in greed. Conscious Capitalism isn't altruism, either; it relies instead on the wisdom of enlightened self-interest.
Very inspiring.
Whether Aburdene got them right, remains to be seen. But I'm optimistic about it. And I'm glad that I'm surfing the waves of these megatrends as I write this.
~C (for Conscious Capitalism)
Access: Public
wonderful, another book for the wish list. these are just the trends we need to make the world an even better place for all of us to become…….
This book really captures for me what I see happening in the business community in 2007. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, is exactly in line with these trends and he runs his company from that perspective. Spirituality in the Workplace is finally happening.