Social Forecasting and Megatrends
Written by Liz Thompson on Monday, August 31st, 2009 in Self Development.
As one of the world’s leading social forecasters, Patricia Aburdene tracks how social change impacts business. She’s been working with organizations and individuals for 25 years to make the most of social transformation.
She is the co-author of the number one New York Times bestseller, Megatrends 2000. Patricia’s newest book, Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism, is a blueprint of the social, economic and spiritual trends transforming free enterprise. As the tagline promises, the book describes seven new trends that will transform how we live, work and invest.
When asked to define ‘conscious capitalism’, Patricia says it’s a decentralized, broad-based crusade on the part of consumers, investors, suppliers, managers and CEOs to heal the excess and greed of capitalism by focusing on human values. It’s more than just a megatrend, though. It has become a popular movement with individuals organizing to reestablish social responsibility and ethics into business.
In Patricia’s newest book there is a chapter titled “Leading from the Middle.” When we think of authority in business, we often think of the power of CEOs and company presidents. However, she reminds us of a kind of authority that is more spiritually based.
Patricia calls this ‘moral authority’, and argues that it has as much value in business as more conventional types of authority. Living and breathing your gifts while at work is a very important way to lead from the middle. And because you’re influencing people, there is no question that it is a valid brand of leadership.
Consumers have a tremendous amount of power over the companies we dislike. We can take our values with us when we go shopping. As consumers, are we using our vote at the cash registers by choosing products that mirror our values and rejecting those that don’t?
Patricia calls those who want to invest in a socially responsible way values-driven investors. While earning a return is important, they won’t do it at the expense of their values. The United States has seen the growth of this movement since the ’70s.
Patricia believes that in the next five years or so, conscious capitalism will hit the mainstream. As we align our investments and products with our deepest values, we’ll bring the power of prosperity to the marketplace.
Are social and spiritual forces re-shaping the free-enterprise economy? What is the future of conscious capitalism? Let megatrend forecaster Patricia Aburdene tell you more about this growing culture. Click here to listen to the Patricia Aburdene seminar.
