We live in a VUCA environment, which is volatile, unpredictable, complex, and, of course, ambiguous, according to a new normal theory. The massive changes that have occurred since WWII, particularly in the last three decades, are unprecedented. When I say, “more than 30 years ago,” I’m referring to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989 and the long-term ramifications of communist ideology in various regions of the world. Since then, we’ve all watched a new world emerge labelled as chaotic, hegemonic, and multi-polar. On the one hand, we have all observed tremendous technical advancement and the rate of globalisation, while on the other hand, we have all lost our own sense of self-identity, dignity, values, norms, and ethical principles. Profit becomes the societal norm, and the spirit is nearly extinguished. What is the present state of the societal environment? Society must evolve, learn, and innovate to thrive in today’s tumultuous and uncertain environment, which can be unfriendly and confusing at times. Organisations or societies that do not change are doomed to fail.In today’s dynamic world, change is a constant phenomenon. Organizations and communities have employed a range of models, tools, theories, and approaches to solve specific difficulties or respond to business dynamics. We are successful in some circumstances, but not in others. Is there anything else we can do to better understand and adapt to the world’s ever-changing dynamics? When seeking to analyse societal developments, I believe that the concept of change is one of the options to explore. It all revolves around innovation. Adapt and change or stay out of the race. Invent, or die.

If we look up at any point while strolling around London, we will frequently find proof of past great ideas and people who have contributed to humanity’s evolution. I was recently walking through central London on my way to the Bangladesh High Commission to obtain my No Visa Required stamp. I was overjoyed to see a blue plaque honouring Mahatma Gandhi’s brief visit to the city. The sculptor Philip Jackson created the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London’s Parliament Square, Westminster. Consider the case below. Mahatma Gandhi, a renowned figure in India and throughout the world, lived in London for 42 years before India gained freedom. What drew him to this location? What did he bring back from the trip? Who was it that he encountered? How his perspective changed later in life because of his visit to the world’s most capitalist city! It must be endowed with some form of legacy. Likewise, he has left an indelible imprint on the globe. We must not forget the nation’s forming history, but we must also look forward while maintaining the critical reference point. They are without a doubt present in the perspective and in all of humanity’s knowledge. He embodied simplicity, he possessed clarity of mind, he was a visionary, and he was ultimately a great source for the liberation of millions of people. He taught us that in order to live, flourish, and thrive, we must employ new approaches in politics, business, and all other spheres of life. He emphasised how innovation occurs because of change.

With this connection, my second argument focuses on the similar concepts of innovation and simplicity. Ernst Friedrich Schumacher was a German economist and statistician best known for his 1973 book “Small is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered.” This is one of the world’s most influential novels. The book takes a revolutionary stance against the Western/capitalist economic structure. He was anti-megacorporation. He argued against economic, technological, and scientific specialisation and offered an intermediate technology system based on smaller working units, communal ownership, and regional workplaces that utilised local resources and labour. While I have no intention of focusing only on the book, I would like to shed some light on the book’s central message, which is smallness, simplicity, and inventiveness. When discussing education, Schumacher asserted that it is one of the most critical resources accessible. When a civilisation is perpetually in crisis, he places the blame on the educational system.

Gandhi noticed something that struck him as a fundamental principle.”Small is Beautiful” was an antidote to the twentieth century’s obsession with what Schumacher called “gigantism,” or the excess of large objects. Schumacher was a proponent of a people-centred approach to economics. We seek a student-centred educational system that is both environmentally friendly and technologically advanced. Gandhi’s nonviolent campaign, which was a strong tool for social protest and revolutionary social and political transformation, was a pioneer in the development of new political practises. E.F. Schumacher challenged the old Western capitalist dogma with his unique philosophy of little is beautiful, which evolved into a bold idealism for the entire world as a result. Interestingly, this is the same motto that the great visionary Austrian economist, Joseph Schumpeter, proclaimed. He spoke about the shifts and the process of creative destruction. Destruction encourages the development of new ideas.

All three of the above great world thinkers have one thing in common: they all believe in change. It is critical and change entails innovation. In his description of innovation, Professor Vijay Govindarajan-a Harvard professor-described it as “mountain climbing.” Mountain climbers face a variety of difficulties as they attempt to reach the top of the mountain. The real challenge should be on the other side, and that is how you go about making it happen.

For all of us, the current world is too complex, unpredictable, and ambiguous. We will struggle to exist in this world unless we find a unique approach to adapt to the circumstances. COVID-19 has made that a reality for all of us. It is one of humanity’s worst disasters that has caused a lot of damage to the world in the last two years.Millions of people have died because of it. Many countries’ economic and social infrastructures have collapsed. Individuals, communities, and states continue to struggle to deal with this unforeseen, unexpected, and invisible foe. The fact that light will come after dark, and that we will all get through this disaster, is true.This catastrophe has strengthened our resilience, raised our humanity, and increased our degree of confidence, as well as expanded our abilities and ingenuity, giving us a better ability to face complex circumstances with zeal. We’ve seen how human emotions, feelings, reasonable attitudes, empathy, and cooperation have been blended and united to accomplish something better in the last two years. This dire situation is forcing us to rethink how we live our lives, societies, nations, and the world. As a result, in times of crisis, optimism rather than negativity is the way out. Because the root of invention is crisis.

It is not simply COVID. We are in the midst of another crisis right now. Nobody could have predicted that, at the end of two years of endurance, just when the people of the world were prepared to turn the situation around, another major crisis would erupt. The Ukrainian crisis. There has been an outcry in Ukraine during the previous two weeks. The world is in disarray. However, it is critical that all of us respond appropriately to this crisis, rather than reacting in a way that exacerbates the problem and leads to a larger human disaster. Now is the moment for all politicians and brilliant brains to produce creative solutions to the crisis. Innovative thinking, a growth mindset, and a cheerful outlook are required to discover the root causes of the crisis and respond appropriately with creative solutions. The epidemic has served as an object lesson in the formation of new business models, and we have all watched the ways in which society, individuals, and organisations have modified their operations to keep up with the new realities that have emerged as a result. To be competitive in the face of a crisis, organisations must have the appropriate readiness to adapt to changes. The pandemic has prompted numerous businesses to close their doors because of their failure to adjust to the new environment. Individuals and organisations alike must place a strong emphasis on the development of novel techniques. However, to bring forth innovation, we must first cultivate an inventive attitude. To effect change, we must have a strong desire to do so. Many favourable outcomes for the organization’s long-term viability can be achieved through innovation. While the benefits of new ideas and innovative ways of doing things are obvious, bringing them to fruition is not always straightforward due to a lack of institutional aspirations, support, and funding, resistance to change, and local, national, and complex regulatory frameworks in both cases, all of which pose significant obstacles to implementing innovation. Because of this, society must have a clear vision and be prepared to adapt to rapidly evolving technology that enables innovation. We can only follow one motto during and after a crisis: “Innovate, innovate, and more innovate.” We must modify the method to attain our aim without affecting our destination.

(The writer is Executive Chair, Centre for Business & Economic Research, UK)

Source: Sun Editorial