The Tsunami of Fear or Tsunami of Hope

“Don’t Believe The Hype, It’s a Sequel” was a line from a dance hit by the band; Snap in 1990.

Does what going on feel a little familiar to you?

Suddenly, at least for those who refused to see the signs, in late 2008 the economic airbus crashed into the mountain of hope. A wave of economic devastation that would potentially collapse the global economy began to drown us and there wasn’t a lifeboat in sight.

A tsunami of fear came crashing down on the global economy and jobs disappeared under the surge. Homes were foreclosed. Banks went under and long-established old money companies went bankrupt or needed the government to bail them out.

We all found ourselves asking; If this was the end of capitalism as we knew it? Would business recover? Was this some kind of an apocalyptic warning that the end was near? These were questions spoken about on the news, late-night talk shows and in living rooms around the world.

I know it seems so long ago but the truth is it’s not that long ago that it was made official that we were in a global recession. Although bankruptcies were up by an unprecedented 34.6 percent over the first quarter of 2009. Even though there would be an economic boom to follow the recession, many were still buried under the debt and devastation brought on by over-lending, over-borrowing and overspending, and the general infestation of greed, nonetheless, there was a growing sense of hope that is beginning to return.

2019, just ten years later and the economy was at an all time high, unemployment was at an all time low and hope was in full bloom. This hope is not for things to return to the way they were, although there are many who would want it that way…

No, in the ten years since the 2009 recession this blossoming hope seems to be of growing a new and “healthy economy,” based more on collaboration than direct and adversarial completion.

Directly after the recession I said that I believed; the world and its economies have changed and I don’t believe it can ever be the same.

In some ways I was dead wrong and in others I was somewhat right: I was dead wrong about the recession becoming a point of reflective accountability. Meaning that “we the people” would now keep the government and business would be less likely to let things go. That we would hold those entities accountable. Although we did on somethings. mostly we didn’t. In fact many people just got a little greedier.

“Those who go into business to make money serve a cruel master, and rarely get anything else. Those who go into business to be of service feed not only their bodies but also their souls.” ~ Dõv Baron

One thing that I did predict was that the recession would shift the balance of power between employers and employees. I said that in a post recession economy it would be far harder to keep Top Talent, let alone keep them loyal. (I wrote a bestselling book on it: Fiercely Loyal) Because, Millennials had seen their parents be loyal to companies for ten, fifteen or more years get thrown to the curb they would no longer trust big business.

The belief in a stable job has buckled at the knees. The corporate ladder has been pushed over. The result is that many people are less willing to be dependent on some outside force for their financial certainty, and I believe that ultimately this is and will be seen as a good thing.

In many ways, it is that quiet rumbling within the middle-class mind that has and will continue to catalyze the “the new economy” becoming a reality.

Yes, the economy has changed. However, the opportunity to live the life of your dreams did not die with the announcement of a recession.

There have been many recessions, in fact, 14 since the “Great Depression” of 1929 and although people thought some of them were going to be financially fatal, in the long run, that was never an actuality.

In this new economy, we will have to do things differently, we will have to tap into resources that we have ignored and or taken for granted. These are not just the resources of the world but the resources of the self. Everything we do at Dov Baron International is dedicated to you discovering how you can not only survive but flourish by tapping into what you have that no one else has — even if you don’t know what that is — yet, we call that tapping into your “Dragon Fire”.

Think back to December 26th, 2004: It took time for the people of Indonesia to recover from the tsunami that devastated part of that country. It took time for the people of Japan to recover from the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

And it will take some time for the world to recover from the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemics. It has had to some degree devastating physical, financial, emotional and mental implications on all of us. And like a tsunami the impact will not be fully recognizable for some time. However, what I know about human beings is we are resilient and one of the reasons for that is; we are tribal, we can find strength in community. In times of trouble we can, and do, find a way to come together. We find a way to be there for each other. We find ways to not just come back, but to move forward by reinventing ourselves into a better and stronger version of what we were before.

The 2007–2009 recession brought its own cultural shifts, it in many ways transformed a generational to think less dependently and to be more entrepreneurial.

My call out to you is this: As we find our way through the darkness that has been the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s use these seeming endings as new beginnings through which we create a tsunami of hope.

Yes, a lot of what was familiar and “normal” is gone. But ask yourself what good might this bring at a global level (EG: A reduction in pollution that has allowed even those who were cynical to think about their impact on the planet). Or, in another example: Maybe now we will finally acknowledge those we had taken for granted who quietly have kept the wheels of this thing we call society. People like: Hospital Worker, Teachers, Truck Drivers, Garbage Collectors, Grocery store workers, and so many others.

As we look back at this time of the COVID-19 global pandemic we will all have to face the fact that COVID-19 did not change us: It revealed us!

So, right here, right now please allow this situation to challenge you to be a better leader! Give this situation an empowering meaning that calls us all to be better. Have the courage to NOT do what others make okay, but rather, step into excellence. Live as a Dragon Leader and breath fire onto any of the lies we are all fed.

The Mic is YOURS:

Tell us your thoughts about what you’ve read here. What will you do to create a Tsunami of Hope?

Because once again, in the words of the German/American band Snap I want to remind you: That you’ve go the POWER!

Dov Baron, IncMag Top100 leadership #Speaker 🎙️#1 Fortune500 PodcastHost 🌎 Entrepreneur Mag writer, Loyalty Authority, Dragonist

I trust that you found this article valuable. If so feel free to send this to your friends. I eagerly anticipate your feedback and comments.

Want to retain your top talent? Then my “Fiercely Loyal” book is for you! Plus get your free: “How to instantly bond any team” infographic.

Dov Baron is first and foremost “The Dragonist”. As The Dragonist, he teaches us how to recognize, find, retain and nurture dragons (top talent) hidden within our organizations.

Want to learn more about what Dov has to offer, and how you too can become a Dragonist in your realm? If you and your leadership team are dedicated to getting the result you set out to achieve in the most meaningful manner, bring Dov in to speak to your organization about the strategic advantages of Dragon Leadership. Go here to get started.

With gratitude,
Dov Baron…

Copyright: Dov Baron International 2020