If there is a phrase that sums up this year's meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, it would certainly be "the world is flat". There seemed to be no way around it. Every single session or debate had to begin with a reference to Thomas Friedman's bestseller. And inevitably, every single time I saw myself growing increasingly skeptical about the whole notion. I can see how a visit to Bangalore and Shanghai can make one think that barriers are falling down and that the global competitive field is leveling off. And yet, whether that was Friedman's intention or not, I keep hearing his quote as a resurrection of discussions in the 80s about the emergence of a global market where consumer preferences, brands and cultural habits would appear to be converging into one uniform and harmonious global village/market.
Nothing further from the truth. Inter-connectivity has led to increased mutual awareness. And mutual awareness has amplified, not reduced, differences. At a time where a clumsy cartoon in Denmark can jump start a political earthquake four thousand miles away, I find it hard to buy the whole flattening idea. The world is not flat. But rather rugged, uneven, filled with natural and man-made barriers, mountains, rivers, valleys, walls, borders. I can't see a most certain recipe for failure in the global market place than subscribing the flatness view of the world. On the contrary, successful business leaders need to be able to understand differences, to navigate uneven playing fields, to leverage diversity.
Think the world is flat? Be ready for a stumble!
(Download el_mundo_no_es_tan_plano_como_parece.pdf , an op-ed piece in Spanish on this subject).
