Global Vision

Oddly, after writing the last missive about my stress from the technology upgrades and migrations that are going on in my life, Old Brain…New Tricks, I encountered an even more stressful situation on my trip to Tokyo a few days ago. So as to not bore those of you who peruse my personal blog notes on my travels and my random thoughts along the journey, I won’t repeat the story here but suggest you take a look at US Airways Cancelled Me!

Luckily I did manage to get to Tokyo where I am participating in the Global Alumni Meeting of the United Nations – Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Program. This Fellowship Program is dedicated to creating a community of world leaders working to improve the conditions of the world ocean while fairly and peacefully addressing the myriad issues surrounding ocean use and policy. I have the great honor and fun of leading part of the event.

We’re celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the program. Almost the entire alumni of the program have managed to get here from over 50 countries. It is an inspiring group showing how with a positive global vision a leadership group from countries often at great odds with each other can come together in comity and produce results that integrate nations and people for the common good of all.

The Nippon Foundation is a wonderful organization. It is dedicated to the mission of social innovation to achieve a global society where all support each other to reduce the burdens and challenges they face. Talk about a huge global vision.

These days the Chairman is Yohei Sasakawa, son of the founder and first Chairman Ryoichi Sasakawa. The vision created by Ryoichi Sasakawa and now carried forward by Yohei Sasakawa has improved the lives and conditions for not just large numbers of people but also for the nations of the entire world. Think about the imagination and strength of conviction it took to dream so big and then create an institution dedicated to fulfilling this vision, a vision that will take an unknown number of years, decades, perhaps centuries to come to completion.

I have had the great honor and pleasure of spending time talking with Yohei Sasakawa. What stands out most in speaking with him is his deep belief in the vision of creating a better world for all.

We talk about vision in the business world all the time. Rarely do I run into business leaders who have created a vision of great breath and reach. Even rarer are those who have so internalized this vision that it truly guides all they do and sets a path for years to come.

There’s an interesting thing about vision. Businesses tend to achieve the vision that guides them. Have a small vision and achieve small things. Have a big vision and achieve big things. This doesn’t mean that you always achieve all you hope for but it does mean that the bigger you dream the more you are likely to achieve.

The bigger the dream and the more you live it, the more it captures the imagination of those whose help you need to reach it. Channel Yohei Sasakawa. Dream big. Paint a picture that causes people to catch their breath when they think about it. Live it, breath it, share it widely.

Who knows, you too might wind up creating something that improves the entire world. Now there’s a vision to inspire your people.

Yohei Sasakawa