Where are we headed?

For those who truly know me, they know I care deeply for current events. There is simply no way to turn an eye away from what we are each watching unfold before us. This is impacting each one of us in ways that are likely difficult to articulate at the moment – thoughts our minds simply cannot wrap ourselves around to believe and "that" is part of the challenge. We don’t want to believe it.

Simultaneously, as a CEO highly invested globally in the "business of people," to boot, having lived across the globe (as a global nomad/TCK), I find myself struggling to find a way to balance all of this meaningfully and impactfully. They’ll talk about remembering this period for years to come, but do we each individually understand what this means? Are we holding ourselves truly accountable or, will we ultimately do what history suggests and that means... return to our old habits? Don’t be too quick to say - no we won’t. There is certainly something to be said about cause and effect. If we don’t truly take this time to reflect and strive to understand ourselves, we’re doomed to repeat the past and that’s a hard lesson to learn - arguably, an unconscionable lesson right now… if we allow ourselves to go there truthfully and honestly.

At these times, I think we can all agree that regardless of religious faith, spiritual tradition, etc., (and I’ve studied many of them) that at the core of this is our humanness. I’m careful to say that this is not about – we’re all in this together, more importantly… that we need to understand that we each individually impact the whole and must now be held accountable for our contribution. There can be no more excuses moving forward. And it’s here that I want to talk today at multiple levels. We sit at a critical precipice once again. What will our choices be now given all of the events that we are watching across the globe? Is it possible that we’re all being asked to think about these events separately – six feet from one another for a purpose? Possibly to realize important insights as individuals and not count on others, but ourselves for our own intuited answers? I believe so.

Myself, I prefer to envision a brighter day. The simple truth is, that brighter day will never come if our hand isn't extended and our hope is not secured by our united faith in one another. So, take account of what this day and experience presents, and let's attempt to draw meaning from the profound words - Live and Learn.

It is something that I have personally attempted to do as I’ve looked out my window at the world both as a human being as well as a thought-leader and CEO. These confined circumstances have offered me a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and time with my own thoughts. What I discovered were questions that made their way to the surface, and I struggled with an inner debate as to what the illusive answers may hold. One of these, along with a series of questions that followed, went something like this…

What value is to be placed on intuition, or the foresight associated with strategic observation and execution? What’s the price tag placed on first mover advantage and opportunistic positioning? What I came away with was a belief that in the end, it can be the difference between leading the pack or, being left behind.

But why this specifically? It began roughly four months ago as these challenging times started to unfold, sitting in my chair I found myself laboring over an initial question that I felt was quite basic… “why do I see things the way I do?” Of course, other related questions followed, such as… is it simply intuition? Is it just me, or does everyone else see “it” too? Might it be a sixth sense? Why haven’t I seen or heard about “this” anywhere else? Are my insights and sensitivity to the market simply a byproduct of the passion for what I do? And so on... Of course, I’m sure that many of you can relate to what I’m saying to some degree, but in my case specifically, it directly correlates to my profession and the stance I take when leveraging either an opportunity or, making decisions that are critical to the success of the task at hand.

For close to 30 years I’ve been a student of the global landscape, witnessed the evolution of technology, industries, hubs, talent, mindsets and the careers of those in talent leadership roles. I’ve had countless conversations with elite professionals employed by every imaginable technology player, from industry juggernauts to dynamic startups both in the United States and abroad. Of course, these conversations opened my eyes on more than one occasion to what was truly taking place not only within the organization in question, but within the associated industry as a whole. Even more so, they made me question what was strategically being fed to the general public. Which is the theme that played itself out, as I mentioned, approximately four months ago.

At the time, while my interests lied solely in the welfare of the U.S., I had to question why the government took such a hard position against the most prominent player in 5G? Sighting security issues just didn’t seem to satisfy my concerns, and slowly, in my mind, I began to connect the dots. The process led to my four previous articles, during the span of which several of the possibilities that I hypothesized about became reality, with yet another piece to the puzzle falling into place just last week as Microsoft purchased Affirmed Networks – which only affirmed what I had spent hours outlining in my writing to date (pun intended).

While covering the battle of 5G over the past four weeks, I, along with everyone else, witnessed the growing intensity of the COVID-19 virus as it played its hand in forcing corporations to experiment with allowing employees to work from home. While I touched on some of the advantages and challenges that both companies and employees would face as a result in my previous article, I wanted to pause for a moment to reflect on what we all might walk away with from this experience as a whole.

What I believe many initially fail to realize, is that they are demonstrating their capacity to be responsible and work independently without being micromanaged. For those who demonstrate their inability to do so, in my view, leave themselves vulnerable to being terminated once life gets back to “normal” and companies strive to balance the books by reviewing where cuts can be made. Ultimately, productivity and performance will be judged on its own merit – but be careful of perception.

During this worldwide crisis that we are all taking part in, it is of course essential that we leverage the tools that we have available to us in order to maintain a sense of unity and comradery. However, in doing so, I believe it’s important to adorn the hat of leadership and play a little role reversal. If you put yourself in their shoes and adapt the corporate view that you are still on the clock, just be sure that what you are visually expressing on social platforms is what management and senior leadership wants to see. Please understand that it is not my intention to sound preachy, just cautious, because as the saying goes - business, is business, and you need to be ever mindful that you are a reflection of the organization that you represent.

Six degrees

We’ve all been asked to maintain social distancing and remain six feet away from one another. If anything, I would hope that this respect for keeping our distance would only serve to bring us all closer. Each one of us, to some extent, have felt an intrusion on our own personal freedoms and have been pressed with the necessity to view the world through the pane of a window, a limitation that certainly hasn’t discriminated against anyone. In a strange way, that which has divided us, has connected us. We’ve gotten more personal with our personal network, allowed others to virtually visit our homes – and invited them into our own private space.

Oddly enough, real life, in a way, is emulating the guides of our online social life. I believe that everyone has heard of the term "six degrees of separation" or the "small world" phenomenon.

The idea that anyone on the planet is connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances with no more than five links (six degrees). As you read this article here on Linkedin, you are actually a part of the 6 degrees of separation network that this platform is built on. Linkedin uses a connection system where individual profiles in the “people you may know” area, are labeled as 2nd or 3rd connections with a map showing how that person is related to you through your first. A similar platform dynamic also exists on Facebook. So, perhaps being separated by six feet shouldn’t be looked upon with a shadow of negativity, after all, it’s actually been the means by which we have all become connected since 2002.

Whether we realize it or not, this is an important time in history. It grants us a great deal to learn and offers us boundless opportunities, IF… we consciously take the time to acknowledge them. What we may discover is that if we pay more attention to ourselves, where we are, why we’re here and what is at stake, we will gain a greater respect for everything and everyone around us.

These unfortunate circumstances are actually offering us the opportunity to spend time with ourselves, build a new framework of solitude beyond that of a corporate office or cubicle thus allowing us time to focus. We’re becoming more reliant upon ourselves whether we realize it or not, have time for reflection, are developing new methods to rule out distractions, are being forced to become more accountable and have a chance to actually listen to ourselves – even out loud. If you’ve noticed, we’ve broken away from the tribe mentality and have come to realize that while we are all in this together, we are still individuals spearheading our own set of responsibilities and are looked upon to bring the results of which to the table each day.

There is a shift happening, a mentality shift and a new point of view that should present you with the opportunity to raise your own personal bar – to better yourself, both personally and professionally.

The question is, will you eventually go back to the office and simply pick up where you left off or, will you have more to contribute than when you left. If anything, it should be your goal, because make no mistake, everyone will be watching; and the little things will be noticed. I encourage you now to take advantage of it.

Be calm and carry on has rarely been more appropriate. Stay strong and healthy.

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: [email protected] or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

? Redmond Research, Inc. 2020