• Globalised world - multi-cultural multi-lingual working, across borders
• Cross-functionality – interdisciplinary teams, matrix management
• Interdependence – no isolated solutions, holistic approach
• Transnational structures – cross-accountabilities
• Focus on innovation and co-creativity
• Flat hierarchy – no authority, democratic or consensus driven
• Leading through respect, inspiration and persuasion
• Key feature: leading people, hence human centred competencies

Need to develop communication think tanks and democratic frameworks which enable open leadership in organisations, communities and associations

Vision, strategy and plans:

• Vision is our destination or end point
• Strategy is the vehicle or broad approach for getting there
• Plans are the detailed maps

Who said utopia was not possible?

From Jaime Herrera: In reconceiving the future, the following are needed:

• To create a new customer-centred organisational model based on highly productive processes and systems run by people to whom the power to act and the responsibility for achieving results have been delegated.
• To promote the development of a leadership which, rooted in natural principles and values, will unleash and democratise creative power and decision-making in the organisation and generate intellectual capital.
• To ensure that a matrix-based organisatin functions properly according to business processes, a wholesale change in the management philosophy is needed. Participatory management has to be introduced in which power is shared, everyone is given an opportunity to participate, work is conducted by consensus and multidisciplinary teams are utilised to implement processes.

All this demands a change in coporate culture, in which everyone must adopt the new principles and values, particularly senior managers. Unfortunately, if top management does not become involved in participatory management, the entire process will be undermined.

In future organisations will: have high degree of commitment by self-directed groups, be organised around processes and demand the immediate dissemination of information to anyone in the organisation.