We’re closely linked but increasingly isolated
We live in an ever more connected world. A myriad of
networks cuts across continents. We have global trade. The internet connects
us, and the internet of things will connect almost everything we can think of
in the next few years. Social media and 24-hour reporting keep us in
touch whether we like it or not.
Speakingin Greece this week, President Obama said that political leaders must guard against a rise in a crude sort of nationalism, ethnic identity or tribalism and an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality.
Speaking this week at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London’s Guildhall, Prime Minister Theresa May said that, “Change is in the air, and when people demand change, it is the job of politicians to respond.” Mrs May has however been remarkably quiet about where the UK is going, and what our vision for the future looks like. Mr Corbyn seems more comfortable with protest than laying out an alternative viable direction for the country. And then up pops Mr Farage, smiling from cheek to cheek in photographs with Mr Trump, on the front foot and once again upstaging the political establishment.
We are also living in
an increasingly polarised and isolationist world, post Brexit and post Trump.
The rise of right wing protest that Trump articulated in his campaign, and of
division and nationalism that we heard in the Brexit campaign, suggest that
there is an upsurge in radical thinking. The liberal status quo is no longer
the popular option.
This paradox is an
interesting insight into the tensions I sense we are feeling across many parts
of the old western democratic world. We are being driven relentlessly by
technology towards a more connected world and yet many of us are unhappy with
the resulting shifts in labour markets, political power and social
cohesion. Our world is changing but not, it seems, always for the
better. The reaction we saw played out last week in the US may be a
predictor of likely reaction elsewhere, legitimising intolerance and disrespect
for others who ‘are not like us’ and making it easier to apportion blame for
economic and social unease.
Where are the
political leaders capable of providing a new direction for our society, a new
sense of our purpose, both at home and in the wider world? Where are the
leaders to re-ignite the sense of justice for everyone and respect for our
neighbours, both locally and nationally? I perceive a leadership void.
I fear we have more
of this to come, until the leadership vacuum is filled with a credible
alternative. We need leaders who can help us to regain our confidence about our
role in the world and our sense of what’s right and wrong. In the
meantime, we will continue to be vulnerable to the politics of protest and
isolation. In this networked world we are at risk of swimming against the
current, withdrawing into our tribes and alienating our allies in the process.
In the conclusion of my book, Connected Leadership, I consider how more 'connected'
political leadership can result in a fairer society. Creating a more connected
society will lead to significant benefits such as improved cooperation, reduced
disparity in living standards and a fairer society. Achieving this
requires a shift in political mindset to an open frame of reference, one in
which we realise that self-interest and shared interest can be mutually
supportive. We are all connected as human beings and we share a responsibility
for us all.
I'm interested in what you think. Please tweet @SimonJHayward and join the conversation.