An excerpt from Convergence argues that today’s leaders must recognize the many signals of accelerating disruption and the increasing convergence where people, technology and business intersect:
Though it has been commonly accepted for decades, the notion that the sole purpose of business is to maximize shareholder profit ignores the needs of our broader communities and the environment. As pressure is applied to push businesses to stand up and take an active role in solving systemic issues concerning our global society, we need to redefine what makes a business successful. We are at an inflection point in history, a time that requires us to prioritize creating human-centric organizations to recalibrate how energy is spent on technology and people.
These changes are possible, as I have seen throughout my career consulting for government agencies and Fortune 100 companies, as one of the founding members of Alvin Toffler’s consulting firm Toffler Associates. My new book Convergence: Technology, Business and the Human-Centric Future explores how the explosion of information technology has forever altered the world of business and how this connectivity gives us the ability to share ideas about issues and problems, voice demands for solutions, and gain insights into actions that leaders are (or are not) taking to meet these demands. Today’s leaders must recognize the many signals of accelerating disruption and take stake or interest in the increasing convergence where people, technology, and business intersect. We all need to know what a human-centric organization looks like in order to know what to advocate for the best interests of community, environment, and indeed our future. Businesses have the incredible capability and capacity to solve the hardest problems, and their potential for social innovation is almost boundless. It's time they acknowledge and address human concerns and needs to meet people where they are. It's time to become human-centric organizations and in doing so, businesses can continue to be profitable while also solving the most complex problems of humanity.
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