Individualising World Order
In world dis-order, business leaders have the power to shape their own order.
The news is hard to watch right now. It doesn’t have to dictate our perspective or determine how we act in the world.
Doing business with the world - crossing borders and breaking down barriers - is a choice we can make, regardless of the actions of nationalistic leaders. Not everything stops at a border. Not everything has to be zero-sum.
Here’s how.
World Dis-Order
The world order is fracturing. Institutions built after World War II to promote peace and prosperity are under strain. Multilateralism is giving way to nationalism, protectionism, and geopolitical conflict and tension. Borders are reinforced, barriers rise, and global institutions face ongoing challenges.
Prosperity is uneven, and peace is fragile. Wars persist, and Europe is taking an active role in defending democracy amid geopolitical and security complexities. Few expect world leaders to act in the global interest.
As world order crumbles, individuals - leaders, entrepreneurs, and businesses with ambitious goals - do not have to stand still.
The Playground of Opportunity
We each have the ability to participate in shaping the world, regardless of political divides, thanks to the rise of digital infrastructure, open networks, and global connectivity.
The open movement brings the world to us, wherever we are. It’s a playground of opportunity for those willing to move beyond their physical location and lived experience.
With just an internet connection, it is possible to:
Build a network beyond borders
Reach out to diaspora, expat, refugee communities at home, or use AI-led networking tools such as Introhive, and Boardy.ai that enable entrepreneurs and leaders to explore new connections across industries and regions. Engaging with individuals in countries labelled as foes by national leaders can foster goodwill, unlock new perspectives, and accelerate relationship-building.
Start a conversation. By text, email, or direct message ask: “How does this world event affect you?”
Learn from the world
Platforms like edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn provide access to world-class education, allowing individuals to join global cohorts, gain new skills, and learn from top institutions without geographic constraints.
Share your learnings. Spark conversations. Invite perspectives from around the world.
Hire the world’s top talent
Platforms like Turing, Polynize, Deel, and Workana facilitate remote hiring across geographies, enabling companies to build diverse, high-performing teams unhindered by national labour markets.
Engage the best. Fast-track a multi-market perspective. Bring commercial opportunities closer from across borders.
Solve global problems
Open-innovation platforms such as Kaggle and Topcoder connect problem-solvers across industries and regions. Challenges once confined to corporate R&D labs or government agencies can now be tackled by a global pool of experts and passionate novices.
Stand out in the world by standing up for something. Make it aligned to personal and professional objectives.
Access decentralised funding and capital
Crowdfunding and decentralised finance (DeFi) solutions provide alternatives to traditional financial systems. Platforms like GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and AngelList offer funding pathways that bypass traditional restrictions on capital.
Join, or invite people, from around the world to back and build what matters to them.
Create and share content globally
Platforms such as YouTube, Medium, and Substack allow individuals to reach global audiences. Business leaders, entrepreneurs, and businesses can build brands, monetise content and intellectual property, and influence industries without relying on traditional gatekeepers.
Craft a message that crosses borders and breaks down barriers. Experiment to determine where it resonates most with the 5.55 billion current active internet users.
Participate in global communities
Online forums and platforms like Reddit and Discord connect individuals with like-minded peers worldwide. These communities foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and support networks, independent of physical location.
Engage with people who don’t need convincing. Find those working with conviction towards shared win-wins.
Access global marketplaces for freelancers
Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork connect freelancers with clients worldwide. A graphic designer in the Philippines can work with a startup in Silicon Valley, capturing opportunities that go beyond local economies.
Experiment with small projects. Collaborate with freelancers across the world. Create economic opportunity. Secure quality work. Work in a postive-sum way.
Innovate through open source
The open-source movement has transformed software development, enabling global collaboration on projects like Linux and Apache. This collective effort accelerates innovation and democratises technology, allowing even small startups to leverage world-class tools.
Explore open source tools and technologies. Seek guidance from those in the know - possibly on the other side of the world - where expertise goes beyond your existing capability. Say: “I have little knowledge in this space, and I’d love to know.”
Engage in global philanthropy
Digital platforms such as GlobalGiving and JustGiving make international charitable giving accessible by allowing individuals to support causes worldwide.
Back what you believe in. Broadcast it or not.
Leverage data for global insights
AI-driven platforms like Tableau and Google Analytics provide businesses with insights into global data trends. Business leaders and entrepreneurs can analyse user and consumer behaviour across regions to refine their products and marketing strategies accordingly.
Remove blind spots and biases on commercial opportunities with data-driven insights.
Participate in remote hackathons
Platforms like Hackathon.com and Devpost host global hackathons, bringing together developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to tackle pressing challenges. These events foster innovation and produce solutions with worldwide impact, from climate tech to public health initiatives.
Invite the world’s talent to hack a new, next, needed solution, product, or service.
“Leaders” who prioritise their own wins - reinforcing nationalism and short-term gains - do not have to define the future entirely when we each have the tools and technology to act beyond their rule.
Powers that Be.
In times of world dis-order, individuals in business have the power to create their own order. Conversations, connections, and co-creation can drive solutions, independent of the political climate.
To act beyond borders is both an economic choice - to de-risk and diversify - and a mindset shift - to operate beyond the interests of nationalist powers.
The ability to engage globally gives agency to those of us who feel deeply dissatisfied with the state of the world and seek to take meaningful, win-win action.
The world is in dis-order. We can each bring it into order, driven by the need for greater wins for the world. We can go further, faster, together.
I hope you’ll join me.
How is world dis-order most affecting you (personally or professionally)?
What one action could you take to go beyond the borders and barriers being reinforced by those in power?
