If all leaders thought of helping humanity first instead of the “delivering the numbers or profit” first, imagine how much more relevant our products and services could be.

As robots become smarter, they are replacing more and more jobs. Does that have to mean people are out of work? Or can it mean that people work better and safer?

What makes a policy or a politician pro business? Lower minimum wage, weaken OSHA, cut corporate taxes. These are pro-factory policies, that make it easier for the factory to be more efficient, to have more power over workers, and to generate short-term profits. But "business" is no longer the same as "factory."

It's no secret global commerce is stuck in the doldrums. Worldwide, economies are expected to average 3.5% growth over the next few years, compared with the 4.7% clip enjoyed from 2003 to 2008. Developed economies will do well to muster 2%. So you might think a conference obsessed with global trends would be something of a downer, but if anyone can find an upside it's the 4,000 VP-and-above business leaders and all-star speakers converging at the WBF in New York to talk about the future of business. Read More »

Goldman Sachs is the smartest, toughest, most aggressive, most powerful player in the world: They have the most powerful political connections. They have the most competitive culture. They make the most money. They win more than almost anybody else. They are the biggest dog in the world. In other words, you could think about Goldman Sachs the way most of the world thinks of the United States.

John Mackey, the Libertarian CEO of Whole Foods, says not to worry: Capitalism and the invisible hand will cure the world's ills. But isn't it a little late to start believing in magic?

We stand at the cusp of a significant paradigm shift.

We have been building towards a transformational tipping point, where natural capital will eventually be valued alongside financial capital. While progress has been steady and promising for the last ten years, the widespread fundamental change we've been hoping for still lies ahead.

Several months ago, I was browsing through a bookstore in Seattle looking for something to read on my flight back across the country.  After having spent eight hours on stage working to keep a mental step ahead of 250 smart executives, I was really looking for something mindless. Perhaps a murder mystery or maybe even something from the vampire genre, which seems to be expanding beyond all logical propositions these days. 

Engaging in a bit of socioeconomic speculation and thinking about what a 21st century economy might look like.

Today America chooses a new president in what is one of the most pivotal elections in history. The world changed sharply during the Bush administration with two recessions, 9/11 attacks, wars in the Middle East, and rising new powers in China and India. The two candidates for President - Senators McCain and Obama - offer distinctly different paths America will take in addressing this new world.