"We live in a real world of rivers, trees and lions (the planet) and an imaginary world of gods, nations and organisations (human consciousness)."

Yuval Harari

Our Reality Paradox 

COP 27 has come and gone and a few more deck chairs have been shuffled about.  And the now fast looming iceberg of global corruption and tragically incompetent global leadership continues to be ignored.

Anyone with a reasonable functioning brain knows full well that our planet is a finite resource and that it must be managed accordingly if we wish to survive.

But we have a serious problem.  As long as we imagine that our 'nations' and 'organisations' are somehow real along with rivers, trees and lions, we have to deny the reality of the planet itself.  Alternatively we will have to admit that our much loved nations and organisations are in fact not real, but imaginary.

Given that the global IQ is 82, the Human Capital Index is 0,57, the Global Corruption Index is 40%  (practically this means we can expect six out of ten global leaders to lie, cheat and steal whenever they breathe), the likelihood of waking up to the fact that the planet is very real indeed and that our nations and organisations are merely artefacts of a bygone age, is moot indeed.

The First Challenge to Business Schools 

If you are the Dean of a global business school, which side of the Harari equation do you lie?  Is the planet part of the real world of 'rivers, trees and lions' or will you continue to live in the imaginary world of 'nations and organisations'?  

Of course my thesis is that if business schools remain on the the now outdated and dangerous historical platform of imagined reality, they will continue to contribute, perhaps unwittingly, to the current dangerous levels of global corruption and global leadership idiocy.

What Action can Business Schools now take? 

The first step is to form a global council to which every business school is invited.  A smaller representative group - a sort of Club of Rome - could be set up to draft a new vision and strategy template.

This council will need to make a basic decision.  Recognise that the planet is the 'real' world, and everything else now becomes subsidiary to this new reality.

If business schools cannot take this fundamental and game changing step, I fear that they will soon become architects of their own demise.

It is blindingly obvious that our current global leadership structures are hopelessly corrupt and collectively impotent.  Based on the work on human energy by Nikola Tesla I calculate the capability of global leadership at a mind-numbing 28%.  At this level leadership is barely conscious.  (See diagram above.)

This leaves business schools as the heir apparent to take the lead in creating a new breed of globally intelligent leader.

As per my previous blogs this revolutionary breed of leaders will need to focus on two strategic targets.

• Eliminate the deadly crime of corruption.
• Create a league of global leaders who are qualified to manage a planetary system.

Do Business Schools have the creative brains and the guts? 

As I have highlighted above our traditional global leadership model obsessed with the imaginary concept of 'nation' is a clear recipe for disaster.  For decades business schools have pliantly supported this now dangerous model.

In general academics are not renowned for their creative and game changing spirit and impact.  However 'cometh the hour cometh the man.'

Right now the world needs a new breed of courageous and intelligent global leader.

Will the world's business schools now have the guts to stand up and be counted?

For everyone's sake, let's hope so!