5 Words for the New Decade

It’s easy to recognize that the world around us is changing incredibly quickly. Consider innovations like smartphones, social media, video streaming, e-sports gaming, self-driving cars and the like. We take all of these advances for granted – and yet they are all 21st-century creations. And they are transforming and disrupting broad swaths of society. Beyond this shocking level of change is another challenging reality. As a speaker at a recent conference put it, “The world will never change this slowly again.”

We are now entering a new decade – perhaps a somewhat arbitrary marker on the calendar – but it feels more significant given the social, economic, and political issues swirling around us. The nightly news does not inspire confidence or optimism: impeachment, street violence, raging forest fires, Twitter intolerance, runaway deficits, migrant suffering, homelessness, and more. We are clearly not dealing with the advancing pace of change effectively.

I want to turn the page not just on the last decade, but on the last twenty years – an era that began for me on 9/11 – and strike a note for optimism. The decade of the ’20s needs to mark a turning point – a time when we collectively flip these challenges into opportunities, making progress across our local, state, and national communities. I want to watch the news and be inspired by innovative ideas, excited about new policies, and encouraged by our collective progress. 

In an effort to live up to this proposition, I offer Five Words for the New Decade.  These are not specific resolutions that lead to success or failure. Our challenges are deeper than that and the effort required will be greater. Rather, they are durable ideals that can focus our attitudes and energies to lead to positive outcomes in the medium to long-term.

RESPECT: Our willingness to forgo the basics of respect is one of the great tragedies of the last twenty years. Perhaps this is rooted in social media, maybe it is caused by economic inequality, or possibly it reflects the way our leaders have acted. Regardless, we must re-center our attitudes to respect others personal characteristics (like race, gender, orientation, political affiliation), points of view, and ideas. More importantly, we must listen well to others and thoughtfully consider what they have to say. Respect doesn’t mean we have to agree, compromise, or give in. It does mean we must have constructive conversations and exchanges of ideas. Progress begins with understanding.

SECURITY: One of the challenging attributes of radical change is that it makes some people very uncomfortable – in fact, physically and emotionally insecure. That anxiety can manifest itself in all kinds of counterproductive behavior – everything from simple frustration to depression to anger to xenophobia. When we are backed into a corner, it’s too easy to look for others to blame. We need approaches that enhance economic security, that enforce our national borders, that secure our elections, and fight mass shootings. In addition to our own physical security, citizens need confidence that their communications and online activities are protected from digital hackers, criminals, and indeed, the government. When we feel secure, we operate as our best selves.

ACCOUNTABILITY: One of the differences I see between younger generations and baby boomers is an almost radical desire for transparency. Mostly, I find this refreshing and challenging in a positive way but at the same time, I think it misses part of the point. Transparency is only useful if people are held accountable for their actions – and that has not happened over the last two decades. Was anyone held accountable for the banking meltdown that nearly destroyed our economy? In all of the #MeToo efforts, has our attitude toward accountability really changed? How can CEOs resign under a cloud of mistakes and bad behavior and get paid tens of millions of dollars to leave? Has Congress held the presidency accountable over the past three administrations? If we can drive accountability, citizens will learn to trust the system. And trust is a force multiplier

COURAGE: In a traditional sense, we think of courage on the field of battle or in the line of duty – and I deeply embrace and respect that definition. But dealing with change absolutely requires additional forms of courage and conviction. Social disruption inevitably leads to backlash and regression as people resist the momentum of “progress.” In a world where social media provides anonymity, people are liberated to say and do reprehensible things. As citizens and leaders, we must have the courage to stand up for our beliefs, to report activities that are unethical or illegal, to vote our convictions, and to pursue just outcomes even when there are bullies and worse taunting us. The strength to do what we know is “right” does not come easily. But in times of change, courage brings out the best in all of us.

COMPASSION: Perhaps the most difficult part of dramatic change is that it leaves some people behind – people who don’t have the opportunity, skills, or circumstances to adapt successfully. With all respect to Darwin, we have a social responsibility to avoid a “survival of the fittest” mentality. Compassion means identifying and providing support to those in need rather than just casting them aside. That support must come from individuals, non-profits, governments, and corporations. We need to evolve traditional definitions of “capitalism” – where the bottom line is the only thing that matters – and develop new approaches to market opportunities. This means civic, business, and political leaders need to step up and step beyond orthodox points of view. Compassion is essential for equitable opportunities.

There are plenty of in vogue (and some meaningful) words that I did not include. Words like “progressive,” “environment,” “equity,” “woke,” “grit,” and “sacrifice.” For sure, there are others. But the challenges we face in the 2020s are rooted in a passive-aggressive world of distrust, anonymity, anger, falsehood, and hopelessness. The antidotes for those problems won’t be found in some specific policy, legislation, or program. Rather, solutions lie in the attitudes and principles of the everyday citizen and the people who lead them.

Respect. Security. Accountability. Courage. Compassion.

Five words for the new decade – cultural guideposts for dealing with traumatic change.