“Let us enter the New Year cheerfully. Let us resolve to look on the bright side, to make the best of whatever may befall, to maintain faith that doing the right thing will ultimately bring victory. Let us cultivate sunniness, resist sourness. We can better wrestle with difficulties, obstacles, problems, in a spirit of buoyancy than in an abject, morose mood.  How much more the radiant mortal gets out of life and puts into life than the downcast, long-faced, self-pitying being.”

 B.C. Forbes, founder of Forbes magazine, 1937.

Growth and Employment Models

The policy prescriptions, industry models and performance incentives that emerged from an era of consumption and debt-driven growth must be transformed to deliver quality growth. Growth that is sustainable, entrepreneur-driven and employment-creating should be the outcome of the rebalancing and deleveraging of the global economy.

Leadership and Innovation Models

The leading countries and global governance institutions of the Cold War era must create space for major emerging economies, private sector institutions and multi-stakeholder partnerships. These new actors should have the responsibility not only to address important global and regional challenges but also to introduce innovative solutions.

Sustainability and Resource Models

The realization that human activities have a major impact on Earth’s ecosystem must drive future changes in behaviour and policies. Our ecological footprint will have to be fully internalized in business models.

Social and Technological Models

The next wave of technological innovation, particularly in life sciences, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, will not just deliver productivity gains but will also transform us by adding new dimensions to our lives. As the “Internet of things” that connects billions of sensors and devices becomes a reality, stakeholders should work together to safeguard the knowledge, data and networks that are critical resources for our future development.

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…and I say all of these are laudable.

AND, let’s add one more – one that perhaps could become an umbrella “model” for all the others because it is a condition for the success of them all:

A Spiritual Model

The world needs a reinvention of current thinking in order to move us away from a competitive model based on separateness, to a new one based on collaboration and the recognition of oneness. Economic, climate, religious, technological and intellectual events are no longer local – everything is global. We are our brother’s keepers. This new model can simply be described as one where we first consider the impact our decisions, conversations, laws and actions before we introduce or implement them.  “Will this inspire others?” is a prerequisite condition that, if asked, can help us to build the world we are all seeking. We can begin here.

World leaders have a responsibility, along with all of the rest of us, to assume responsibility for setting the tone and the pace of this change of thinking.  We need it today more than ever.

In 2008, 42% of workers leaving an organization said they would definitely not recommend their former employer to a job seeker. According to a new survey by the Corporate
Executive Board this number has jumped to 75% today.

The principle reason for these disappointing conditions is that for millions of people, work is no  longer an inspiring part of their lives.  And I mean inspiration – not motivation.  See the difference here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL-Zf4b972Y.

But we can change this. Try this experiment today. Start your day with this commitment: “Today, I will inspire others with all my thoughts, communications, and actions.” That means in meetings, phone calls, e-mails, conversations, facial and body language, and with colleagues, strangers and family and friends. You can make that commitment here: www.inspirepledge.com. If you make this simple pledge and then follow through on your intention today, your impact on those around you will be remarkable and you will change their lives - and yours. If your department makes this pledge today it will transform your entire department. If you organization made a system-wide commitment to behaving this way your entire organization would change, together with everyone with whom you organization connects. If a million people took this pledge, we would change the world. Are you prepared to make this commitment? And are you prepared to take action by enrolling your friends and colleagues in this simple endeavor? With your help, support, encouragement and passion, you can help to create a movement.

Try it: As you begin your day, repeat the mantra,  “Inspire!” The word “inspire” is from the Latin spirare, which means to breathe. Breathe in the word “Inspire” and take it fully into your entire body. Circulate the energy of Inspiration through your heart, pumping the life force of Inspiration through your veins to all your organs and every part of your body. Make a commitment to be that word for the rest of the day. Say to yourself, “Inspire! I pledge to be an inspiring person in every thought, word and deed.” Breathe in the awareness of Inspiration every chance you get; after all, it is always only a breath away. As you practice this declaration, the world will become richer for having experienced you. This is how you can make the difference that you, like all of us, yearn for. The word “conspire” means to breathe together (con=with; spirare=to breathe); let us breathe together; let us conspire to change the world – especially at work – and make our experience of being alive more inspiring.

One more tip: give someone an inspire change today – watch the smile and gratitude illuminate their face – as you create an inspiring memory they will never forget!

But as I sat in an airport lounge before boarding a flight to Europe my thoughts turned to other sectors of the economy where terrible customer relationships and shabby services are common – airlines. Handcuffed with frequent-fliers plans, one routinely discovers that this is a come-on – “Lock in with us and we’ll fly you free to your dream destination”. Except that when you try to redeem your points, a thicket of hurdles will be thrown in front of you making it impossible to actually redeem your points, or the conditions will be so difficult it will not be worth your while. And don’t get me going about cable companies who entice you with low rates for the first year in an attempt to lock you in, and then jack up their fees in the second. Or magazines where the first year customer gets a better price than a long-standing one. Or cars that are so unappealing manufacturers need to offer you cash incentives to buy one.

So if loyalty programs are no more than†expensive insurance policies against shoddy service, the obvious answer is to ditch the flim-flam of loyalty gimmicks and replace them with good old-fashioned service that keeps bringing customers back – Hello Starbucks, Disney, Southwest Airlines, Patagonia, Bed Bath and Beyond, American Express, Whole Foods, Costco, Publix Supermarkets, and many others who understand this. Thanks for showing us how great service generates loyalty without the handcuffs. If you have a loyalty program, why do you need it? Is it merely an offset for the poor quality of your product or service?

In celebration of the release of The Power of Your Past, John will be leading a complimentary teleseminar on Thursday, April 21^st at 5:30 PM Pacific time (8:30 PM Eastern). Whether your top priorities right now are personal or professional in nature, join John for what will be a thought-provoking and inspiring conversation.

Special Note: If you buy the book on April 13th, all the proceeds go to Whole Child International. To sign up for the free teleseminar and to learn more about John Schuster and Whole Child International, simply click right here.