I am not a Futurist.  I am not even sure what a Futurist is or does.  But I can tell you one thing I feel certain about…

Tomorrow will look nothing like today.

More than simply a new type of brand, there is a new emerging zeitgeist.  It contains a collective of bonfires that are igniting a new dialogue, a new set of principles and a whole new behavior.  In many ways it is as if an old light is dying and a new light is beginning to burn bright.  I affectionately refer to this new light of bonfires as THE REAL 100 - progressive thinkers, social catalysts, entrepreneurs and pioneers who are reshaping the cultural landscape and creating positive systemic change.  They are certainly not the masses (at least not yet anyway), but they represent the harbinger of things to come.

Why the shift and what insights suggest this new ethos of light in the emerging future?  There exists a myriad of things to consider, but one thing in particular stands out.  Generation WE.  A bonfire of compassionate youth that is almost 100 million strong.  A passionate posse that will have tremendous impact on our behavior and every deliberation.

And here’s what is fascinating.  They are not like us.  In fact, they are a lot different.

•    Success is more than simply a financial number.  They have a healthy and holistic perspective on happiness that goes well beyond financial boundaries.
•    They hold environmental stewardship and social equity and justice as core tenets.
•    They embrace, love and cherish open collaboration and collectives.
•    Technology is their friend…their best friend.
•    My personal favorite.  They have essentially flipped ‘the man’ the bird and said thanks but no thanks…I’ll take the entrepreneurial route.

So what does it all mean and where does one begin?

It’s simple.  There is a revolution underfoot that is reshaping our landscape.  New principles that go well beyond being green and sustainable are giving rise to a new breed of brand and culture.  It’s about inspiration versus desperation, ethos versus tactics and leadership versus compliance.  Simple shifts in thinking are creating positive systemic change and making things happen.

So begin by inspiring an openness to adapt and evolve. Begin by opening our eyes to a new world order and possibility.  Begin by quieting our cleverness so that we can see the beauty and abundance in the blind spot. Begin by taking the time to understand the essence of Generation WE (look what it did for Obama!).  Be open to adopting new guiding principles that appeal not only to those we serve, but inspire and empower our internal culture as well.  Begin by appreciating the essence underscored in the values and principles embedded in THE REAL 100 and watch the shift happen.

THE REAL 100  / Top 10 Principles

1.    IT BEGINS INSIDE - It’s simple really.  Great bonfire brands have great cultures.  Cultures where there is purpose, vision and a palpable heartbeat that brings everyone to this common place of not work but adventure.  An environment where the best capital is human capital.  A community that promotes autonomy and accountability over micro-management.  A place that trumpets and promotes glorious mistakes because safe is indeed risky.  A place where passion meets compassion.   In essence, cultivating the inside so that we can nurture and grow the outside.

2.    GREAT BRANDS ARE A REFLECTION OF THOSE YOU SERVE - Look under the hood of THE REAL 100 and you’ll see a collection of folks that are a mirror image of those they serve.   They do not need focus groups to tell them the pulse of things.  They are the pulse of things!  The ultimate litmus test – can someone you serve meet you, your culture and your environment and feel your verve?

3.    BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, NOT THINGS - THE REAL 100 is not about buying things.  It’s about building relationships inspired by mutual respect, honesty and service.  There is a connection that you cannot find in a transaction.   Evangelists nurture your missive in a way that creates an effortless loyalty.  It takes time.  It takes hard work.  Most importantly, it requires us to hold those we serve less as consumers and more as partners.

4.    A BRAND IS A PROMISE.  KEEP IT - Like any great relationship, trust is the foundation. For THE REAL 100, trust is currency.  Sharing transparency.  Providing traceability.  Opening the onion of their brand.  Keep the promise and you will flourish.

5.    HUMANITY IN YOUR EVERY DELIBERATION - In the words of Barry Schwartz, it is imperative that we imbue a higher level of integrity and moral jazz.  Corporate responsibility is a non-negotiable.   We need humanity in our every deliberation.  The reality is that what plagues our world is not climate change, biodiversity, deforestation or market malaise, but rather a lack of appreciation for humankind.

6.    INSTANT KARMA - There is a spiritual quality embedded in THE REAL 100 and it manifests itself in a couple of ways.  The first is the recognition that cultural shifts start with us.  Not government, not large organizations, but passionate and brilliant individuals.  We alone can create the change we wish to see.  The second element is the belief that our actions affect our future lives and the lives of others. Good deeds will have a positive effect while bad deeds bring negative consequences. That said this principle speaks to the belief of an immediate concept of accountability for our actions.   We reap what we sow.

7.    CONSIDER THE WHOLE & THE EFFECT YOU WISH TO CREATE - Recognize that sustainability and green go well beyond environmental issues and include social equity and justice as well.  As Buckminster Fuller would say, ‘look at things through the widest possible context’…that way you can see the whole.  Carbon footprint, water footprint, and human footprint – they all need to be considered.

8.    RESPONSIBLE CAPITALISM - Ray Anderson (CEO Interface Global) is fond of opening his presentations with ‘I am an industrialist’ followed by an intoxicating journey of how they are making the world a better place and earning a living.  We need to stop thinking that doing the right thing and doing well is mutually exclusive.  Responsible capitalism can trumpet over the tired capitalism.  We simply need to commit in a way the two are viewed as one versus isolating them from one another.  Lastly, it’s also about growing strong versus the insatiable hangover from the last century to grow big.  It’s about being the best, not the biggest.

9.    EMBRACE GLORIOUS MISTAKES - Pioneers do not know failure, for the adventure and drive to create a new possibility is progress unto itself.  They live inspiration not desperation.  Failure?  That’s accepting the status quo.  THE REAL 100 is a collective of pioneering bold thinkers who are driven towards creating positive systemic change.  There’s a lot that they do not do well and there are missteps along the way.  But those are not failures.  Those are simply glorious mistakes that deepen the inspiration.

10.  HONESTY VERSUS PERFECTION - It’s not important to be perfect.  It’s imperative that we are honest.  We’re going to make mistakes…cool.  So when we do, let’s lose the crisis PR team and instead, speak from our heart versus the head.  Seventh Generation is a resilient and pioneering brand that has made an array or mistakes in its twenty-year history.  It also is open and honest about when it falls short.  The irony.  The Seventh Generation Nation seems to grow with every miscue.  There is nothing more profound than a sense of humility and willingness to be open about errors.

Imagine if we had the same reverence for Janine Benyus, Buckminster Fuller, John Todd, Paul Hawken, Michael Pollan, Paul Rice and David Suzuki that our culture has for Tiger Woods?  What would shift in our behavior and every deliberation?

The possibilities would be endless.

My newfound obsession - discovering the trimtab that can make it a reality…

Crazy question but have you ever just stopped to observe the reality in which you live? 

Imagine if you could switch your life to slow motion.  What would you see?  

I am a dreamer obsessed with what could be.  So, in June 2007 I closed my Mac, shut-off my Blackberry and waved good-bye to conference rooms.  After almost twenty years of playing brand builder at wonderful places like Seventh Generation [amazing culture that inspired me daily] and NIKE [the human spirit should never be underestimated] I listened to my inner compass and went on a self-imposed spiritual journey. I call it my Forrest Gump moment.  Only rather than starting to run I simply stopped running.  Some called me crazy.  Others sighed in envy.  The truth is I simply felt this inner burn suggesting I needed to quiet my cleverness and create anew. More importantly, I needed to re-connect with my wife, two daughters and friends.  It was an odyssey informed by re-affirming what matters most and living the extraordinary.

Not surprisingly, the tranquility and calm gave me unabashed clarity for the first time in my adult life. 

So what is it that I was able to see? 

Here are my top reflections during my self-imposed sabbatical:

• There is absolutely NOTHING more important than family and friends.  A distant second are endorphin highs followed by  good local beer.
• I am half as good as I think I am.  Along the way I have abandoned the sense of inquiry and exploration I had during my youth and replaced it with thinking that has become trite.  In essence I discovered the need to quiet my cleverness and embolden myself with a new Socratic sense of inquiry.  What a gift!
• We’ve become a culture inebriated with tactics, the notion that more is more and playing it safe.  Imagine the possibility if we shifted the lens to systemic thinking/vision, doing more with less and courage!   
• Leadership requires the art of inquiry.
• Human capital is far and away your best capital.  I would much rather have scarce dollars and an amazing team than piles of cash with a weak roster.  That said great human capital should be looked as an investment versus as expense.  Behind every great brand is a great culture comprised of brilliant people.
• We need to de-emphasize words such as innovation, marketing, eco, green and sustainability and shift the conversation to what effect is it that we are trying to create?  Case in point:  At NIKE the emphasis was not on making a product innovative but rather it was focused on the effect…enhancing an athlete’s performance.  
• Strategic plans need to be simple in a way that they can be easily communicated, inspiring in a way that ignite one’s soul and empowering in a way that everyone can see their place in the journey.  Romance your culture with a northstar in a way that everyone can work in the future…today.
• Courage, humility and intuition are a lost art in business.  Work from the heart and be willing to make glorious mistakes!  Oops.  One more thing.  Who killed the ‘have fun’ button? 
• Fundamentals such as positioning, values, frameworks and vision are woefully lacking in the vast majority of brands.  Too bad because they are simple things that can create a significant positive impact.
• Brilliant people and amazing brands are successful because they are doing what they love to do and they are a reflection of those they serve.  
• Buckminster Fuller was brilliant.  His teachings have never been more relevant than they are today. 
•  The emerging future is going to be an amazing journey for those individuals and brands that show courage, transparency, humanity, patience and the willingness to focus on what could be.  Furthermore, it is my belief that purpose oriented brands, brands that hold humanity in every deliberation, will thrive in the next 5-10 years.