May 4th: May the Force Be With You
The Force doesn’t stop at borders.
A bit of fun on May 4th - May the Force Be With You.
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
- Yoda to Luke Skywalker, The Empire Strikes Back
Fear is a force. So is courage.
And every May 4th, Star Wars fans around the world celebrate the force for good.
Star Wars is a film franchise. And, we can think of it as a global signal of what people value: independence, hope, courage, and the collective will to resist domination.
While created in the United States, its audience stretches across every continent. The UK, France, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Australia - each has dedicated fan communities, local translations, and in many cases, organised events.
The Force doesn’t stop at borders.
The Force is Untethered.
A Global Story of Rebellion
In the original trilogy, Star Wars gave us the Rebel Alliance - a decentralised coalition of systems, species, and individuals who stood against the Galactic Empire.
The Empire was large, powerful, and centrally controlled - led by Emperor Palpatine, enforced by Darth Vader.
The rebels had none of that. What they had instead:
Hidden bases.
Diverse members from different walks of life.
No single headquarters. No monopoly on truth.
A shared goal: restore democracy and collective self-determination.
Notable figures like Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker were united not by origin or background, but by purpose.
Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, they acted - together and apart - within their means, networks, and courage.
The Rebellion Is Familiar
Today’s business leaders and entrepreneurs find themselves in a world under pressure:
Trade wars.
Military conflicts.
Fragmented global cooperation.
Supply chains stretched thin.
Economic nationalism rising.
The playbook of the Empire - centralisation, control, force - is again on display.
And so too is the chance to rebel. Peacefully. Strategically. Globally.
Decentralised, Self-Organising, Connected
We now have the infrastructure to build our own Rebellions - in business, in leadership, in global collaboration - without waiting for permission or a central command.
The modern ‘forces’ we can leverage include:
Global connectivity: 5.5 billion people are online. Collaboration, coordination, and learning no longer depend on physical proximity.
Digital trust networks: Open-source protocols, blockchain-backed tools, and secure platforms allow decentralised groups to work together with integrity.
Knowledge flows: Real-time access to intelligence, insights, and market data levels the field. Decisions, and the talent to make them, aren’t bound to HQ anymore.
Tools for mobilisation: Cloud-based systems, low-code platforms, and decentralised finance enable people in different corners of the world to act in sync.
Narratives and movements: Storytelling travels further, faster. Movements can grow without traditional media or power structures.
Ecosystems with shared purpose: Individuals, organisations, and communities form alliances - not based on ownership or control, yet on shared missions. These ecosystems enable coordination without hierarchy and impact without central command.
When we use these forces with clarity and intent, we create the conditions for global cooperation, even in fragmented times.
When we see the bigger picture - and that more exists to leverage on a collective-basis than before - we can play a bigger game.
A Call to Rebellion - The Business Edition
We should be cautious of disrupting for the sake of it, particularly at a time of resource constraints and general contraction.
Rather, at any age, stage, place, or level of backing, we can lead in ways that resist the extractive and exclusionary systems that dominate nations and markets.
We can build organisations, business models, teams, and leadership styles that connect across borders, share value, and push forward solutions that serve people and planet - not power alone.
May 4th is a reminder to leverage key forces at play, including:
Global shifts start with small groups who act.
We go further, faster, together.