This century should be rather remarkable but it will not just happen, you have to create it.
Ancient Greeks had two concepts of time, chronos and kairos. The former referring to the sequential progress of time; and, the latter, opportune moments – pockets of exceptional time, rare instants, seasons when people tuned towards change seize opportunity.
Today we are living in a period of kairos time. A rare moment of exceptional opportunities and perils is upon us. People look around and they realise we are experiencing what is essentially revolutionary times, but very few are ready or prepared for journeying during this extraordinary moment. Point in case, this century should be rather exceptional; technical advances herald the dawning of a golden age of discovery, a new renaissance. But, rising populism indicates that for an increasing portion the world feels anything but exceptional. This is somewhat puzzling because for the most part when measured against nearly any indicator you care to, we live lives better than anyone, anywhere at any time in history. Here is the puzzling question, we are living in an remarkable time in human history, but, it does not feel remarkable, why?
This paper suggests it is because we have given up on doing remarkable things. This is of grave concern because the greatest danger is that we fall short, failing to think big enough to make this century great for everyone. A vanguard of companies are recognising shifts in competitive advantage and getting closer to the idea that by achieving remarkable things; doing what seemed impossible or inconceivable just a few years ago, by thinking and dreaming big, delivering meaningful benefits to society and shareholders, they are going to improve their business. A lot more needs to and can be done. Kairos is a moment to seize opportunity.
Kairos runs alongside chronos time, you still have to get the basics right, but if you want to thrive then kairos requires proponents to committedly venture against current paradigms because, as Joanne Paul a historian explains: “All of a sudden the universal rules that govern success in chronos time no longer apply.”
This paper explores the new universal rules, identifies three areas which need to be addressed in order to truly ignite the most remarkable and revolutionary century humankind has ever known and decodes how vanguard companies are doing remarkable things. Finally, we suggest seven steps to achieving your own personal and professional remarkable things.
Hi! Gretchen here at the East-West Center in Honolulu. Interesting lead sentence, especially since I was listening to a talk just last night by the Franciscan Richard Rohr, who was also talking about chronos and kairos, and the importance of deep contemplation to arriving and living in kairos.
A bit confusing is your link to “download the report,” which seems to just lead me to the book and the chance to get it by mail. Can you clarify? Mahalo (and Aloha!) – Gretchen