Abstract
How will business be different in the next 15 years, and what skills will leaders need to succeed in that changed environment?Leadership 2030: The Six Megatrends You Need to Understand to Lead Your Company Into the Futureexamines data surrounding the complexities of a changing economy in the next 15 years. The authors, both management consultants, use data collected from a global management communication firm and a strategic foresight analytical group to identify “megatrends” that business leaders must understand to adapt and thrive in this new, technology-driven world. While the book’s intended audience is upper-level managers and business leaders, the text works well with business communication students preparing for careers in this changing environment. Generation Y students, in particular, will likely recognize the trends around technology, globalization, and environmental concerns that the authors highlight. Communication principles are woven throughout the data, case studies, and examples that the book provides.
Leadership 2030is both a sharp critique of traditional 20th-century bureaucratic leadership and a bold forecast of what it means to effectively lead a business into the near future. The authors are not shy in pointing out that “Alpha Male” top-down leadership is losing its efficacy among younger employees whose company loyalty is markedly lower than their older counterparts. But all hope is not lost. The changing corporate landscape has also given birth to what the text calls an “altrocentric leader.” In order to employ and retain the best, the altrocentric leader must recognize that everyone involved in the organization is a stakeholder, not just the upper-level executives. It is on this premise where the book becomes an organic, teachable tool in a business communication, international relations, organizational communication, or public administration classroom.
The authors highlight six megatrends that will shape the future of business. A megatrend is “a long-term, transformational process with global reach, broad scope, and a fundamental and dramatic impact” (p. 6). A megatrend is more than a short-term trend; rather, a megatrend must meet the criteria of having significant impact across regions and stakeholders over decades. The six megatrends—(a) Globalization 2.0, (b) The Environmental Crisis, (c) Individualization and Value Pluralism, (d) The Digital Era, (e) Demographic Change, and (f) Technological Convergence—divide the book’s chapters accordingly and intricately overlap as the authors build their case. These megatrends, the authors point out, transcend any one industry, making the book applicable to many teaching and corporate environments.
This megatrend overlap demonstrates the complexity of a changing business landscape. Cases throughout the text exemplify how the megatrends reinforce this complexity. For example, the megatrend of Globalization 2.0 explores evidence suggesting trade is moving away from the traditional model of Western dominance. The expanding middle class in the East creates consumers who will continue to have more buying power and voice in trade with the West. As a result of this shift, companies must be in tune with these audiences and respond to their demands. To further complicate the issue, these demands are not homogenous but differ according to a specific culture, which the authors callglocalization. In the Jollibee case, explained below, Globalization 2.0 overlaps with the megatrend of Individualization and Value Pluralism. The latter megatrend explores the ways consumers will increase their demand for personalized products and services that fit their needs and values.
To explore this megatrend overlap,Leadership 2030highlights the seemingly unlikely story of how Jollibee dominates global giant McDonald’s in the Filipino hamburger market. While McDonald’s has historically dominated the market, its very size is now working against it in this new environment. The smaller and more agile Jollibee was able to seize a larger market share by selling a product that responded to the localized preferences of their Filipino market: pineapple on hamburgers. McDonald’s organizational structure enables it to be big and consistent, but not to respond quickly to customers’ tastes. This example also overlaps with Individualization and Value Pluralism. The Jollibee case demonstrates what altrocentric leaders must do—listen, respond, and alter their communication depending on the specific need. Effective business communication under this new model must acknowledge such complexity, while adapting a message across different contexts. The Jollibee case is one of many examples of what leadership in the future will require. These examples provide readers with applied cases from an international perspective.
Generation Y, or Millennial, students will hold particular interest in this text. As the authors forecast what effective leaders should do in the future, they speak to a new generation of leaders. Large-scale data and experience in using this text with undergraduate students suggest that the business values of this generation are different. These generational differences include valuing work–life balance and corporate recognition of social and environmental issues. The flip side, as the authors acknowledge, is that this generation may be less motivated by traditional markers of success, such as organizational title and salary. Managers working with this generation will need to shape their communication strategies in ways that acknowledge these different motivations.Leadership 2030considers how these changing values will shape a new business environment.
In sum,Leadership 2030values strong business communication at its core. The megatrends, as well as the authors’ advice about succeeding with them, correlate strongly with effective communication skills. Business communication students will be able to relate to the ample real-life examples provided, while learning about the necessity of strong intercultural and technological communication skills. Students will likely also note that although the book is grounded in data, the authors are still making projections. Regardless of academic discipline, the book will help future leaders better understand and manage the complexities of a changing business environment.