Do we know what the future holds?

The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting in Davos was Resilient Dynamism. Which basically means no-one can predict the future so we need to adapt our thinking and behaviour to deal with this. We need to be quick on our feet, adjusting to new scenarios. Especially as the world is getting smaller and changes occur faster. Those that can move quickly will come out on top. Success today does not guarantee success tomorrow. We need a new mentality  – one which enables us to accept risk as a fact of life, and respond better to it.

The time I spent with the Technology Pioneers was an excellent illustration of this. More than ever, these young entrepreneurs show the big companies how true resilience works and how the combination of technology and a brilliant idea can shift worlds. Whether it is renewable energy, high tech home healthcare, computer games or distributing sounds over the internet. These guys and girls use technology to address global opportunities and show an enormous resilience when it comes to execution.

So my excellent week in Davos illustrated that the old guard have a lot they can learn from the young guns. Speed, agility, and the ability to change a plan if it’s not working are critical. The worst thing is to do nothing. The main message I have taken away from Davos is that we cannot wait for others to come up with answers to solve today’s economic uncertainty, or a year from now we will wish we had started today.

Author: Bas Burger is President of BT Global Commerce industries and participated in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2013 in Davos.

 Image: Technicians work on a tower clock REUTERS/Brian Snyder