Learn Continually, or Fail Ultimately.
For those of us who can remember a time when the World Wide Web was a new concept, the Internet once seemed adventurous and exciting.
Not much was at stake in those days. Businesses saw a potential new marketplace and society embraced a new pastime. We became a culture devoted to distance learning at one extreme, and online dating at the other. To some, the Internet seemed at best trivial, and at worst frivolous. Internet-capable computers were as scarce in the offices of Congress as taxis on a rainy night in New York City.
Today we agree that the Internet has changed the world as we knew it, and that those days are over. With leadership having been transferred to a new generation of courageous young men and women, born in an era when computers became ubiquitous, if we hope to progress we must continue to learn. Not just as business people, but as citizens and members of the human family. It is our obligation and our duty.
Abraham Lincoln once remarked: “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” When our country was in its infancy, many of our forbears studied by the light of their fireplace if they were fortunate, and a lone candle if they were not. By contrast, our search for intellectual growth requires much less rigor today. Unreliable candlelight has been replaced by perpetual monitor glow, and the endless hours in front of a burning fire have been replaced by information delivered at the speed of light. With this vast improvement in technology comes an escalating requirement for dedication and seriousness of purpose. We must not squander the enormous advantage we have been given.
America’s obligation in the information age is to never stop learning. We must stay curious, interested, and intellectually hungry. We must remain committed to broadening, deepening and sharpening our skills and knowledge. In an era of terrorist attacks and ecological calamities, the fate of an entire generation may depend upon our ability to harness the enormous power and incredible speed of the Internet. We must marshal that power, and use it for good.
Lincoln’s world may have been simple compared to ours, but his regard for learning cannot be questioned. Without intellectual growth we cannot hope to survive as an economy or as a nation. When our best efforts cannot stop a catastrophic oil leak from destroying a major part of our ecology, it is a clarion call to all of us: Learn continually, or fail ultimately.
The New Uncharted Territory
Scott Monty at Ford
CONGRATULATIONS: Jericho Technology would like to send this well-deserved accolade to Scott Monty at Ford Motor Company. He is a man whose time has come.
THE OLD DAYS: Some of us remember the day when major U.S. companies thought the burgeoning Internet was a fad, soon to go the way of the Hula Hoop.
Can you remember those dark days presenting the exciting news of Internet business, sitting opposite a Fortune 500 executive in his mahogany Board Room, and watching with chagrin as his eyes glazed over? I certainly can. Well, I don’t know how many Hula Hoops remain in museums and private collections, but the Internet is now more than ubiquitous, having fundamentally changed the culture worldwide. It will never be the same again.
In today’s world, Social Media has become the new uncharted territory, and men like Scott Monty, encouraged by CEO’s like Alan Mulally, are charting a new and exciting course. Those of us who make our living leading wagon trains across this new expanse of knowledge and vision, owe a debt of gratitude to men like Scott Monty and his boss for making our trek just a bit easier and more productive.
Please read the following article from Scott, and visit his blog to watch and appreciate Mr. Mulally’s words. It will be time well spent.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Role of Leadership in Social Media
We often hear of social media being equated with tools and platforms. But it’s really much more than that.
If you’re adopting these technologies and behaviors at your company, it’s not about the shiny new toys. It’s fundamentally about culture change. And that type of transformational change – which may include updating business practices – must come from the top. But more than a top-down dictum, it’s got to be part of leadership.
I’ve previously discussed leadership here – in particular the leadership from Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally, who really gets social media. He promotes a culture of transparency and openness that is completely aligned with the way we’re trying to engage with consumers online and think about how we do business. Consistency of purpose and of message is key.
The Washington Post’s “On Leadership” feature recently did a two-part interview with Alan that captures some of the thinking behind what makes this major culture change at Ford such a success. I thought it was valuable to share these videos with you, since there are broader business lessons here that any marketing, communications or social media professional should understand.
Alan Mulally on catching mistakes
Alan Mulally on the “liberating clarity” of his mission
This kind of thinking and laser-like focus on our plan is one of the things that continues to set Ford apart. In social media as well as in the industry.
Technology Marketing as a Foreign Language
In 2006, John Dodds wrote an article called “Geek Marketing 101.” It’s points are equally well taken in 2009, and in fact are even more relevant in the era of Social Media. For those of us who wander the worlds of Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter, engaging in connectedness and conversation, the following words are even more prescient.
1) Marketing is not a department.
Marketing is a combination of elements that creates the environment in which it is possible to meet a customer need (starting right back at product development). Promotion and sales are just sub-sets of marketing. Read more
Procrastinator’s Inoculation
Michael R. H. Stewart, President
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