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New technologies have radically transformed society, business and industries. Today, the world is much more adventuresome, connected, and disruptive than yesterday. As our world is reshaping and new ecosystems are emerging, education must adapt an active, new approach.
Drucker Forum 2019
Education can have a significant impact on developing an open mind and preparing us for the world of tomorrow. However, in the midst of technological and economic disruption, a too specialised degree or education can be a handicap.
Granted, a university cannot teach you everything. Yet, despite the changing ecosystem, universities still render creative capabilities and achievements in relation to grades of the past. This is discouraging because it not only under-assesses potential and talent, it also measures curiosity through inflexible standards.
For business to meet its needs in innovation, and for education to satisfy this generation of inquisitive minds, it is imperative that we endorse an ecosystem without boundaries – one that has yet to be given clear rules. The world is no longer convenient or mechanistic. The best managers, business executives and world leaders know this. They are more intrigued with new ideas and ambitions, people who think differently, take initiative and learn outside the classroom.
Undeniably, we need to drop our prejudices and dispense with an education system born out of the Industrial Revolution. We need to promote those who express their own ideas, curiosity and intelligence – in contrast to those focused on memorisation. We need to encourage and illuminate multifaceted activities and achievements, which are at first glance out of our reach and perhaps even difficult to grasp. The future is hiding in plain sight – and not in a gilded classroom.
About the Author:
Sebastian Woller, a finalist for the Drucker Challenge in 2018, is a Hamburg-based management professional with experience in various sectors
This article is one in the Drucker Forum “shape the debate” series relating to the 11th Global Peter Drucker Forum, under the theme “The Power of Ecosystems”, taking place on November 21-22, 2019 in Vienna, Austria #GPDF19 #ecosystems