We Are the World: It's Not Just the Same Old Song

Here I go again. Someone mentions globalization, and I find myself on my soapbox, adamantly trying to get folks to realize the positives of a global economy.

But this time it's a little different because a lot of others (most of them smarter than me) are now realizing how interconnected global economies are and understand the need to make joint decisions.

The dismal economic situation has not only impacted large, powerful nations, but it streams all the way to poverty-stricken countries as well. It is a global problem, and we need to come together as a global community to create global solutions. In doing so, we can create a brighter future not only for business and commerce, but also for our children and our children's children.

Although there has been much talk about globalization -- a fair share of which has come from me, as we know -- it seems that the concept of globalization was not and has not been clearly defined throughout the world.

The U.S. is a strong country, built on capitalism, but neither we nor other powerful nations can solely provide the solutions to this economic problem. We need to come together to determine and weigh the risks and benefits of potential solutions.

We've made great strides already, with unprecedented cooperation among nations. And it's up to all of us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and build a secure future so that we do not find ourselves in this situation again.

Looking at the long term from a global perspective presents a paradigm shift for many. It's an intricate picture with more complexities, but this is what we need to move forward and create a promising, successful, global future.

What got me up on my globalization soap box was that when the world's business and government leaders came together at the World Economic Annual Forum in Davos, Switzerland - http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm - to discuss solutions to the global economic crisis and other key issues of worldwide importance the meeting closed with a call for a "new brand of collaborative and innovative leadership."

Amen! I'm glad to see our world leaders moving in the right direction and creating a path for everyone to follow. I am now eager to see business leaders accept this challenge and adopt a new brand of collaborative and innovative leadership within their global supply chains.

We are the world and globalization is here to stay. Let's use this new awareness to our benefit.

Jim