Let’s Make the World a Better Place for our Children and Grandchildren to Inherit
There’s an ancient Chinese curse that goes, “May you live in interesting times.”
On many days, particularly when pondering global or national events, I see the deep wisdom in that curse. On other, more optimistic days, I sense the opportunities that today’s interesting times are presenting for humanity and today’s leaders.
Let’s start with a basic premise: every organization, and in fact every individual, has the obligation to make the world a better place for our children and grandchildren to inherit.
It’s that simple. 
It is also a huge responsibility.
But unfortunately we live today where the trust levels for businesses, corporations, governments, politicians, business leaders, and just about every other formal institution at or near all-time lows.
It is time to change this, through a renewed focus across the spectrum on Accountability, Ethics, and Responsibility.
These will be the themes of The Responsibility Blog. We will apply these themes not just to corporations, but to corporate leaders, political leaders, community leaders, and individuals.
Beware the Illusion of Certainty
My now-retired first boss after college recently wrote to a group of former colleagues discussing and disagreeing about recent events, “There’s a seed of wisdom in this for all of us anxious about the events of our own times and frustrated with others who differ.”
He also cautioned that “A good first step is to beware the illusion of certainty,” particularly in light of the polarizing and fragmented messages conveyed through traditional media and social media in today’s world.
That’s sound advice. I know that I personally have views, opinions, and even beliefs about how government, corporate, organizational, social, and religious leaders handle their responsibilities and duties to us constituents, components of society, and members of the human race.
I also know that my opinions, views, and beliefs may not be widely shared at all times by the people with whom I regularly interact. That’s fine, for I have found over the years that the views, opinions, and beliefs of others will either modify or entrench my own. Either way is beneficial.
Hence I welcome the views, opinions, and beliefs of others to be shared here. I seek a spirited dialogue, as long as it is without acrimony, name calling, or divisive rhetoric. While I will moderate comments I will happily share those that differ from my own, again provided these are written without rancor or laced with hatred-spewing or defamatory verbiage.
Let’s start a dialogue on bring accountability, ethics, and responsibility back into our world as core universal values. I look forward to you joining me in this dialogue with your thoughts, ideas, comments, and suggestions.
Additionally, guest bloggers are welcome to submit articles that touch upon any of our three focus areas: responsibility, accountability, and ethics. Please contact me (ResponsibiityBlog@CalienteLeadership.com) to propose a guest blog.
Together, let’s leave the world a better place for our children and grandchildren to inherit.
Hello ,
I saw your tweets and thought I will check your website. Have to say it looks very good!
I’m also interested in this topic and have recently started my journey as young entrepreneur.
I’m also looking for the ways on how to promote my website. I have tried AdSense and Facebok Ads, however it is getting very expensive.
Can you recommend something what works best for you?
I also want to improve SEO of my website. Would appreciate, if you can have a quick look at my website and give me an advice what I should improve: http://janzac.com/
(Recently I have added a new page about FutureNet and the way how users can make money on this social networking portal.)
I wanted to subscribe to your newsletter, but I couldn’t find it. Do you have it?
Hope to hear from you soon.
P.S.
Maybe I will add link to your website on my website and you will add link to my website on your website? It will improve SEO of our websites, right? What do you think?
Regards
Jan Zac
Thanks for your comments Jan.
I don’t have a newsletter as I’m not trying to sell anything through this blog. I just want to create some dialogue on some key issues we have as a society, as well as share some examples of best practices in the areas of responsibility, accountability, and ethics.
I can’t give you SEO advice but will have a look at your site.
All the best,
Steven
I really like your concept,Steven. Heaven knows the world desperately needs more Responsibility, Accountability & Ethics. What it also needs, perhaps most of all, is a lot more good old-fashioned Common Sense. Toward that end, I offer to help prime the pump of your new website …
Six Common Sense Caveats
1. If it’s dumb, don’t do it.
2. Emotional decisions are too-often dumb.
3. Understand. Think. Do. Only in that order.
4. Things change; make no promises.
5. Commit to nothing sooner than necessary …
or a moment too late.
6. Weigh costs and risks inherent in every choice.
Good luck with your new venture,
Frank Walters
Many thanks Frank.
I love the six simple common sense caveats. I think I would add more: consider the impact of your options on today’s world and future generations when making decisions.
Keep your ideas coming!
Thanks,
Steven
I really like your concept, Steven. Heaven knows the world desperately needs more Responsibility, Accountability & Ethics. What it also needs, perhaps most of all, is a lot more good old-fashioned Common Sense. Toward that end, I offer to help prime the pump of your new website …
Six Common Sense Caveats
1. If it’s dumb, don’t do it.
2. Emotional decisions are too-often dumb.
3. Understand. Think. Do. Only in that order.
4. Things change; make no promises.
5. Commit to nothing sooner than necessary …
or a moment too late.
6. Weigh costs and risks inherent in every choice.
Good luck with your new venture,
Frank Walters
Much like a Michelangelo masterpiece in marble, every human life is sculptured in tiny increments, one chip of the chisel at a time — every chip vital to the whole. Like those seemingly unimportant discarded fragments, the little life choices one makes, moment by moment over the years, fundamentally shape who each person becomes. And who that person becomes, in turn, influences his children, and their children, and so on across the generations to come. In similar fashion, each of us helps shape all of humanity in ways far beyond our understanding. The profound implication in this observation is that each of us has a moral obligation to make the best choices possible, choice by choice.
Frank Walters
Random insights into Duty:
Duty in a nutshell: Them that can, should.
Talent is God’s gift imposing duty of optimum use.
What is Duty but the obligation of each part to the whole? Doing right, on whatever scale, is a duty to humanity.
Extravagance is just another form of Waste. And waste is wrong. Thus, Prudence is duty.
All living things have the right — and the duty to the greater good — to pursue their own well-being.
On Talent: Gifts of Can comes wrapped in duty to Do.