Thanks – hope it helps you in your work.

I think we real have to back Michael Porter’s article on Creating Shared Value in the January 2011 HBR. He makes the case in a way I think corporations can hear – assuming they can take the time to read it.

I agree that the long-term-short-term issue is a very sticky one that will require leadership in the financial community, as well in all other sectors.

I think some of the new global leadership programs that give people different in-country experiences may be one way to help people to understand the scope and time issues – and climate change will drive it home.

I hope the article did in fact help with your speech. A few of us are working on the “dancing with dilemmas” issue – essentially it seems to boil down to balance, innovate or integrate the various competing forces – once you have acknowledged their legitimacy.

Nadine – thanks for your confirmation of what I have felt in the younger generation. I believe they willpursue the issue.

The ‘middle-path’ won’t lead us anywhere; what we need are a set of “let-the-too-big-to-fail” fail measures – preferably the Governmemts – leading this almost forgotten ‘social responsibility’.

However, I think leadership won’t be enough. The system of short term financial reporting needs to be challenged. For that to happen we need to prove (and perhaps it’s been done before)that mid term strategies and financial reporting policies (compliance permitting) positively influence stock price.

We are on our way with CEOs such as Paul Polman already preaching long term investing. This is not new. I learned in Investments 101 that value stocks existed. We know that over the long term a portfolio of investments can yield a good benefit.

In consequence, the new generations of leaders have to be mindful of the societal tensions that short-term thinking creates. More importantly, I believe older generations have the responsibility to pass on the wisdom of the effects of short term thinking via forums and management education. New leaders won’t be able to understand the importance of scope and time that you mention unless they experience their professional leadership crucible. We can’t wait for these crucibles of leadership. We need to prepare innovation leaders today for scenarios they are totally unaware of.