Can you create climates for success? Is it all down to the global economic situation and Governments or are there other forces at play? Well, that depends on your viewpoint and beliefs. But, to be honest, all success – personal or professional – has a lot invested in personal beliefs. As Henry Ford said, “There are two kinds of people in the world, those who think they can and those who think they cannot, and they are both right.”
If we take it further and look at world beliefs, the Chinese and their link to the art of Feng Shui, would say that the world travels in 20 year cycles. According to Dr Michael Oon in his book Creating Competitive Advantage Using Traditional Feng Shui, the last cycle was from 1984 – 2004 and we are currently half way through the next cycle from 2004 – 2024.
Each of these cycles possess a personality. The personality of the last cycle ending in 2004 was very money-centred, all about possessions, the overriding value being: it was style over substance. The growth areas were commerce, finance, retail and design. It was very much a competitive cycle creating greed and a silo mentality, which resulted in a decline of compassion and unity.
The age of the artisan
We are mid way through the new era. This is the climate of the artisan, people who are proud of their work, more heart led with less emphasis on the ego. Possessions, whilst important, do not the have mental ‘hold’ over people as they used to. The personality of this cycle is supportive of small businesses, individuals working with their passions, personal development, fellowship and communities coming together for common goals.
We have all seen this subtle shift in consciousness, and sometimes not so subtle (remembering recent riots, sit-ins and demonstrations across Europe and the UK in recent years). People are waking up and coming out of the slightly robotic unconscious state they were lulled into by the materialism drug. Like all drugs, the personality of the last cycle was addictive which can make it hard to resist. The first half of this new cycle has been witness to many personal and professional battles as the desire to alter state has entered into a headlock with past patterns of behaviour.
The real growth phase of this new cycle is just beginning. This is the time to market and grow your business, it really is the time for the entrepreneur and small business owner. The dragon of the multi-national corporate world is still showering us with its fire, but the flames are less violent, less damaging and less ferocious. We will always need the large corporate organisations, let us not kid ourselves that the world can operate on entrepreneurs only, that would be foolish in the extreme. But, what we can work towards is a better balance, a collaboration of the multi-national and the SME, a coming together of skills and expertise to create a better world, recognising that whatever the size of company you run or work in, we all have a part to play in the success of Global.Inc.
There has never been a better time to be a woman in business
This era is the perfect environment for women business owners to blossom and flourish. With our ability for exceptional EQ, compassion, passion and fellowship, this is our time. Combine this climate with 21st century technology and the fact that we living in a digital age, the world really is our oyster. My mantra is ‘there has never been a better time to be a woman in business’.
So, are there climates for success? Yes, I believe there are. We are living in one of the most potentially productive and successful periods for business globally, certainly in our lifetimes. Let us pool together and co-create a sustainable, successful and healthy future, not just for us, but for everyone coming up behind us. Part of the personality of unity is about leaving a legacy. We can all leave a positive legacy if we choose. There are two kinds of people in the world – those who think they can and those who think they cannot. Which one are you?