Things to Think About

“Education in the 20th century was about technology. In the 21st century it should be about wisdom and people.” Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba

What a wonderful acknowledgement of evolution by someone who has proven it and knows what he’s talking about. Jack Ma created a business that is a crown jewel of the digital economy with more 120,000 employees and more than $72 billion in sales. To me, Jack Ma is saying that the 20th century was all about the way in which we did things—processes and the rise of technology—and the 21st century is about how we use these things to create value for all stakeholders, which includes the well-being and personal fulfilment of employees. We’ve all heard, “It’s not what you know. It’s how you use it that makes the difference.” In other words, we are evolving from a tech-based economy to a wisdom-based economy and it’s an economy that thrives on how people interpret and align the needs and wants of society with the development and deployment of technology. To the leaders who get this, who understand that people are the differentiating characteristic of success today, will go the rewards. To the others will go what’s left.

Good luck on your journey!