: “I’ve got 20 years of experience in leadership and CEO roles across several types of organizations, including in the U.S. and Germany. I think what differentiates Swedish businesses from others is their long-term focus on creating a supportive, positive culture and investing in employee well-being. Fortunately, these considerations are increasingly common in businesses worldwide, but they have always been at the core of many Swedish businesses—and they have been an even greater focus over the last decade. Focusing on employee well-being makes intuitive sense: Businesses are made of people, and people do their best work when they are treated well. It also doesn’t mean that a business can’t be competitive or driven by growth—it’s possible to combine the two.”
strategy+business: “In a study of CEOs’ purpose statements, 93 percent failed to state why their company is in business. In other words: Most purpose statements lack any meaningful sense of purpose…Simply stating something does not necessarily make it so. But a meaningful purpose statement that has ethical, emotional, and rational appeal should be likelier to influence a good purpose in practice than one that does not. Whether leadership is making the case that an organization is essential during the coronavirus pandemic or seeking to attract and motivate employees, articulating its reason for being roots an organization’s appeal in something immediately important and enduringly meaningful. To illustrate this concept, compare the CEO who stated that the purpose of his organization is “to create daylight, fresh air, and a better environment for people’s everyday lives” with the CEO whose purpose is “to produce goods of as a high a quality as possible, with as low as possible production costs.” The former (from an environmental services company) provides a reason for the company’s existence, identifies a beneficiary, and alludes to the organization’s unique contribution to the world. The latter statement, though practical, is uninspired.”
Anurag Wadehra: “Every ambitious tech founder wants to create a new category. Yet, every repeat founder knows how hard it is to do so. The market you choose to enter and the category you play in is one of the most existential questions for a tech company. Even then, many startups fail having never understood the dynamics of the category they are part of – willingly or not. In B2B, how is your market different from your software category? Why should you care about the category? Why isn’t having loyal customers or a cool product enough? And, if you need to play in a category, how do you set your game that helps you win?”
WSJ: “This year, India’s population surpassed China’s for the first time, not only because India is growing rapidly, but also because China is declining. Long-term projections suggest that China’s population, which now stands at about 1.4 billion, will drop below one billion by 2080 and 800 million by 2100. China’s working-age population, which peaked in 2011, is projected to decline nearly a quarter by 2050. Meanwhile, the number of elderly Chinese will rise from 200 million to 500 million at midcentury, and providing for their needs will be a mounting challenge for China’s workers and policy makers. While these demographic trends will cause issues in the future, current problems are challenging the playbook that China has used to maintain growth in recent decades—infrastructure development, housing production and exports…Is China past its peak? Its rising debt, aging population and sinking housing market suggest it is.”
Mint writes about four discoveries that can change our world: nuclear fusion, room temp superconductivity, cancer-killing pill, and a possible drug for Alzheimer’s. “Imagine the possibilities. One could provide us with an unlimited source of green and safe energy. The second could improve the world’s sustainability by making electricity grids efficient while cutting down transmission and distribution losses massively. In the medical field, the first of the two discoveries could give the world an effective cure for one of the most fearsome diseases known to humans—cancer. The fourth discovery is about controlling Alzheimer’s, a disease that slows down man’s cognitive and functional performance. Currently, it has no cure or disease-modifying treatment. All these discoveries come with challenges. They need to be replicated and pass peer review. In the case of medical discoveries, they need to clear clinical trials, and the benefits they eventually offer should far outweigh their side-effects. But the scientific community appears excited. Scientists are also sceptics. They have begun looking at these claims closely. A few may fail to make the cut but as Albert Einstein said, “failure is success in progress”.”
