We live in a world of unparalleled change, much of it good (think of the benefits of mobile communications, the internet and advances in food production that have led to a steady reduction in global poverty), but alongside these benefits come real problems (from the changes needed to address climate change through to the more immediate struggle with cyber-security). As leaders, we all know the dangers of ignoring the changes […]
“Nation Of Shopkeepers” – But can we be productive too?
The phrase a “nation of shopkeepers” is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte and it’s generally assumed he used it in a negative sense. In reality, there is very little evidence that Napoleon ever said this and, if he did, he would have probably been meant it positively; echoing Adam Smith who used the expression in “The Wealth Of Nations” to describe the extent to which trading […]