2020, The start of the 'Roaring Twenties'

A new year, a new decade, a new dance.

Remember the “Roaring Twenties”, the decade of the 1920s in the Western Society. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in Europa and The United States. This was a period of large-scale developments, use of new innovations, automobiles, telephones, movies, radio and all kind of electric appliances being installed in the day to day lives of the Westerners. Aviation became a business, traveling became a more and more common good. Economic growth accelerated by the consumer demand and significant new changes were introduced in lifestyles of the people. Media focus was on celebrities, sport heroes and movie stars. Real estate and architecture developed to another level. Society and economy developed. All for the good. It all brought ‘Modernity’ to a large part of the population. Women got voting rights, where allowed to study, they redefined their looks, the liberalisation of women was a fact.

The music, the dances and the parties where wild and liberating.

Recognising the parallel? We all know how the party ended. The Dow Jones Industrial Stock Index collapsed, on October 29, 1929. The event on Wallstreet was the start of a worldwide depression and put millions of people out of work around the world throughout the 1930s

So what can we do, to start our 2020s with the optimism of the new decade to come? Knowing that our generation is blessed with economic prosperity. We have far better education and healthcare, social benefits and insurance and pension funds for the elderly. We travel, use social media, have the opportunity to go every weekend to a dance-festivals in the neighbourhood or to one somewhere else on the globe, we have access to daily concerts of all sorts of music, we have fashion, we have it all. The news is mass entertainment, we have online access to the latest international daily news and entertainment. We all have our own role-models and idols. We follow, celebrities, ‘vloggers’ or just common people, complete strangers or our friends. We innovate everything imaginable, electric cars on autopilot, AI and machine learning are introduced in our daily life etc. We game and play. We are blessed….

….. Are we?

To avoid that history will repeat and that our journey ends the same way. Some of us need to act. Before you know is it 2029, time flies when you have fun!

The need for a set of new rules of engagement is clear. Global warming and climate change is no longer an intellectual discussion but an acknowledged problem that should be solved. Recycling is a lifestyle and is a given in modern thinking, plastic should be banned. Green energy is a matter of time, the public debate does not tolerate a no, electric cars are no longer innovative but more and more common, other forms of clean transportation are developed and vegan and bio is big business. Social Media is the new social control. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, online gambling or gaming is no news. Worries about the lack of modern educated people is a given. Basic income for all, is back on the political agenda. And women are still no a significant player on key decision level.

The shift in economic powers between China and the USA are playing the markets, Brexit is a fact, ‘digitalization’ dominates our professional and private lives, crypto money is no longer a fantasy and is going to change valuation models, disruption is becoming a normal business-model and the quest for talent is, as said a fierce battle.

But we still talk and debate ‘Old School’ about diversity and inclusion. Equality between man and women is according the World Economic Forum expected to take another 100 years. With the challenges we are going to face the coming decades, I would strongly advise to act differently. Give room for new and different players at the table, let the power that be mingle with the new to come.

There is need for new leadership in all layers of society. That is ready to face this inevitable reality-check, that is willing to take responsibility and able to enable solution driven action without disturbing the fragile balance between economic stability and society.

The old economy is still based upon the known trusted partners since decades and the icons are still listed on the stock exchanges in New York, London, Amsterdam etc. Meanwhile dominating ‘new’ players like FAAMG: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google. The big 5 tech companies are leading the social-cultural revolution at a big international scale and drive social change at full speed. But do not come up with solutions of the above. Followed by companies like Salesforce, Uber, Netflix, Disney etc. They all have a solid successful rather, by now known 'disrupting' business models, based on data, that makes billions of revenues. But….. these companies do not solve the true problems the world is facing. Same as the old industries they are not an NGO, they are moneymakers and stock listed.

Scientist are looking for answers, politicians are looking for short time solutions and quick fixes and people longing for solidarity, are mostly ignorant as they do not speak the languages of the new digital players. They admire them and see the leaders as young rebels, men hardly any women with a bad dress sense, leading very powerful organisations. Wealth is among us but the gap between ‘the haves and haves not’ is becoming disturbingly high. The Chinees players are no match as they are large and extremely successful, stock-listed companies with a non-democratic origin. Europe is looking for answers, but old school leadership and risk-averse behaviour of the European players are still dominating and here is size an issue. However fear is in the system as competition never sleeps.

Meanwhile we all are aware of the above, it is a new reality. We all realize, theorize and write about it. We all know that the future of humanity is at stake when Mother Earth is slowly collapsing. Financing education and healthcare is going to be problem due to increasingly high costs as we need a lifelong learning program and our population is growing older.

Still the debate regrading participatuion of women remains poor and with lack of courage. And we all know that their is a call and a need for full diversity and inclusion. For example; although in the Netherlands the women’s quota for listed firms is now finally a fact, the overall discussion on equality is close to nonexistent. See the last WEF figures The Netherlands dropped from 27 (in 2018) to place 38 (in 2019)

True, the challenges we going to encounter the coming decade are going to be overwhelming but not impossible to overcome. We are all humans and we are ‘build’ to think, innovate, survive and to proceed. We just need to stay on the positive side of the spectrum and include all, so include us, women!

Where are the Politicians, the CEO’s of the key industries, private equity funds, large NGO’s and other powerful players in the field? Where are the true entrepreneurs who see, as I do, all these new possibilities and interesting opportunities? Please step forward and take the lead!

I hear you say: “Where are those wise people who go in, with guts, vision and a bang. Where are those who are courageous to speak up and act brave when they do step on stage.” We all know that the solution of it all is right in front of us.

If I was a CEO of a listed firm - no matter an old fund or just listed — I would act swift and rapid without any hesitation. I would invite and hire diverse talent in my board, management teams and for all key positions the best available people.

The solution is so simple and is staring us in the face for decades. Don’t talk about inclusion, diversity and equality. Hire the people instead!

The future is nearer than you think. Your future colleagues are going to be more and more picky who they are willing to work with. Talent has no gender, age, religion nor sexual preference. Include the other 50% of the people in the daily challenges, open the debate and create together the solution.

Do not wait any longer or just applaud for a brave young girl, who is followed daily by the media and speaks up her mind. Be wise and start listening to and work together with all these wonderful, skilled, high educated, modest women and men who are around you. Include the young and the more experienced, the bi-cultural and the immigrant, the young ambitious women and the by media unknown however very skilled people in their own expertise. And for marketing purposes or when they are truly of an added value, one or two more famous or acknowledged men and women.

100 years ago, we women got our right to vote. We went to Universities ever since we are allowed to study. We are specialists in all sort of subject areas. We do have the ticket to the party, invite us now to dance along with you. Don’t hesitate, let us participate. Our expertise, experience, and human skillsets are needed. It is the year 2020, we are all, just like you aware of the matter of urgency!

Just be bold, brave and do it!

Happy New Year, I wish you all a magical, wise and adventurous 2020!

Astrid van Heumen

People Centered Economy and the future of work; learn earn and return

Corporate Casting