The future is not far off

The main task for the survival of mankind in the 21st century is to learn to understand and respect the deep roots of our difference

The rapidly changing world forces the company and business leaders to seek a balance between the solution of immediate problems and the construction of long-term strategies based on global megatrends.

Mr. Sheppard, what is the challenge for business strategists today?

Today it is important to focus simultaneously on two things: on strategy and on people. The world is changing rapidly, and we need to look not only at the strategy, but also at the possibility of its implementation. If you do not have the appropriate resources, even the best strategy in the world will be doomed to failure.

There is no longer a traditional division between the development of leadership and the development of a strategy that was effective at a time when the world was more stable.

What does sustainable strategy mean for a large multinational company?

The strategy is based on the concept of a combination of traditions and innovations. You have to change, but you must pay tribute to the previous experience. If you change and do not take into account history and traditions, you can say that you spill the child along with the water. You seem to start all over again. At the same time, the current business model, as we know it, is no longer relevant and does not cope with the tasks that it faces.

When formulating a strategy, there must be a deep understanding of how the world is changing today. To begin with, it is important to understand what is happening in our days is a given. In particular, it is necessary to take into account such megatrends as, for example, the shift of the world economic force from the West to the East, demographic shifts or lack of resources. There is even such a formula: you bet on the factors that are known, and try to manage unknown variables. And then we need to understand how these factors unfold in space at a certain point in time.

First, it is necessary to take into account existing megatrends, analyze them, and secondly, it is worth understanding the public's reaction to them. The first principle is based on the premise that megatrends in principle exist and they affect people's lives - technology, demography, etc. The second principle takes into account more how humanity adapts to global changes, as well as those issues that are sharply on the agenda today. For example, in some states there is an increase in nationalism and populism, but this is a response to globalization in a broad sense, to the growth of inequality, the asymmetric spread of technology. As a result, there is an increase in mistrust towards institutions.