As we start a new year, I now look back at a year which has provided more surprises than I anticipated and wonder if we can take any lessons into 2017.
We have seen political changes like no other. Who would have predicted at the beginning of the year that the 2017 President of the United States of America would be Donald Trump? Who would have predicted that the Britain would leave the European Union in 2017? Who would have predicted that one of the most successful Prime Ministers in New Zealand’s modern times would simply announce he will retire in 2017 without going to an election?
And then we look at some of the amazing sporting results of 2016. It was certainly the year of the underdog. The sporting romances included:
- Cronulla Sharks winning their first NRL premiership since they joined the competition in 1967
- Western Bulldogs winning the AFL premiership, the first since 1954
- Chicago Cubs win the American Baseball World Series, their last being in 1908
Now the question is, is there any lessons we can take forward in 2017 from so many surprises in 2016?
My take on the political front is you cannot take the general public as mugs and at some point of time they will draw a line in the sand and say “enough is enough”. At that point, irrespective of who you are, or what you stand for, the old establishment will be disregarded and the person who can provide clear goals with no political padding and set goals based on everyday morals and ethics will win. I am a big fan of Prime Minister Modi of India, who has set specific goals, with an agenda to tear down red tape and set India moving forward. To give you some of the examples we are seeing, business processes which used to take 100 days, now take 50 days or less. He has reduced the number of Ministers from 80 to 65. He had planned to bring electricity to some 18,542 villages by May 2018 but instead it will be completed by March 2017.
Is that the sort of leader we want? A man of the people, a man who knows what the people want, a man not afraid to say it as it is, a man who gets on to doing what he says he will do.
Every business needs a leader who can understand their customer’s needs and works with their staff to achieve these goals.
It has been said that Trump was able to reach out to the salt-of-the-earth real Americans in the working class and provide them with hope.
The Democrats on the other hand were offering those working class folk nothing or so it seemed, and certainly not reaching out to their morals and ethics.
Whether you are a political leader or leading a sporting team which has not won for 100 years, you must be prepared to understand the needs of your people. Without getting them onside you have no chance to succeed. Just importantly is when you know the needs you must be able to communicate your path. No propaganda speeches, but a message which is from the heart, a message of honesty and a message which is clear and concise.
I, like you, cannot predict what will happen in 2017 but what I have learnt is never predict against the unpredictable and never lose sight of the real people who matter.
I cannot close 2016 without remembering a real person who did matter, who passed away unexpectedly this year. One of our colleagues in our Vietnam office, Uyen Nguyen, a young mother of two, who one Saturday was complaining of headaches and by Monday had died. A young lady who had a passion for life, who touched everyone who met her and was taken far too young. At this time of the year such a devastating loss is felt by everyone and on behalf of all our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand we send our best wishes to her family and colleagues. So take the time to be thankful for the people who matter to you before it is too late.
Finally, I wish you all a happy and successful year and I look forward to working with you in 2017.
