Megatrends 2010

Review from Future Survey

     Co-author with former husband John Naisbitt of Megatrends (1982), Megatrends 2000 (1990), Megatrends for Women (1992), and Re-Inventing the Corporation (1985) proclaims that the Information Age is over and an exciting new epoch is taking its place: the new economy of consciousness. All business invention grows out of consciousness--the awareness of awareness, the gleam of Spirit that animates humanity. "Human consciousness is the new raw material," the new source of wealth. The synergy of changing values and economic necessity is transforming capitalism in our turbulent times. "Whether you call yourself spiritual or evangelical, green or new age, a die-hard capitalist or a soccer mom who shops with her values, you need to know the powerful trends that are already re-inventing free enterprise."
     The new list of megatrends, each given chapter-length treatment: 1) The Power of Spirituality at a time when 78% seek more Spirit (defined as the attribute of God that dwells in humanity; "analogous to the Holy Spirit, but in an ecumenical and nondenominational way"); millions have invited Spirit into their lives, through personal growth, religion, meditation, prayer, or yoga: "the quest for spirituality is the greatest megatrend of our era(and) spiritual transformation, triggered at the individual level, is now spilling over from the personal to the institutional"; 2) The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism: top companies and leading CEOs are re-inventing free enterprise to honor stakeholders and shareholders, both to earn more money and to make the world a better place; 3) Leading from the Middle: the charismatic and overpaid CEO is fading fast [??], while "ordinary" managers are forging lasting change through the special power of informal leadership; 4) Spirituality in Business: it's springing up all over, as "faith at work" or "spirit at work"; even MBA programs now offer spiritual courses, and the International Spirit at Work Awards (inspired by the late Willis Harman) honors programs that explicitly nourish spirituality at work; 5) The Values-Driven Consumer: Conscious Consumers who have fled the mass market are a multi-billion-dollar "niche"buying hybrid cars, green building supplies, and organic food (they are often called "LOHAS" or Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability customers, heavily overlapping the Cultural Creatives); 6) The Wave of Conscious Solutions: a new era that welcomes the widespread application of "conscious" techniques in business (meditation seminars, forgiveness training, HeartMath, fire walking, Vision Quest); 7) The Socially Responsible Investment Boom: over 200 SRI mutual funds subject stocks to "screens" that measure a company's policies on social/environmental/ethical matters.
     "This book's message is simple and clear: 1) we the people have the power to heal capitalism; 2) capitalism has the power to change the world." [NOTE: Fans of Megatrends and those seeking uplifting cheer for troubled times will applaud; empiricists and skeptics will roll their eyes at this highly popularized book. To cite just one sobering indicator, J. D. Power estimates that SUVs will still command 27% of the US car market in 2010, while gas-sipping hybrids, despite tripling in sales, will only be 4% of the market (Newsweek, 10 Oct 2005, p46).] (spiritual megatrends in business)