Life 3.0

If 2020 was a year of reflections, then 2021 was an inflection point for humanity. Last year on this day, my reflections titled “2020 hindsight!” invited comments from many around the world on the key points raised, followed by wishes for a year that would commit the pandemic to history.

The salient points of that message were:

• Oneness — the realization of the interconnectedness and oneness of mankind
• World Order — the need for a new world-embracing order to address our collective challenges
• China-Ward — the rise of China and the “Rest” of the billions and what it means to future of humanity
• “Isms” — nationalism, racialism and all the barriers that have been emboldened
• The disconnect — the great rift between the haves and the have-nots
• A Happy Planet? — slowing economy and the new consciousness about climate change
• Encore — are we ready for another worldwide calamity?

In reviewing them, I see us in ever greater need to address these and as it turned out, 2021 was anything but an end to the pandemic. Far from being a “recovery” year, we entered an era of significant challenges not seen in many decades. Many terms crept into our vocabulary this year — Variant, Inflation, Lockdown, The Great Resignation, NFT (non-fungible token), New Normal, Booster, Supply Chain, Chip Shortage … add to that the many conflicts and tensions that have risen everywhere from America to the Middle East and Asia, and you get a feeling that we have not made any progress.

By any count, 2021 was a difficult year — a perfect storm of sorts. However, not all is doom and gloom. I still believe that we are at the precipice of a new world consciousness characterized by the realization that the fate of humanity as a whole depends on collaboration, cooperation, unity and building bridges rather than on accentuating our differences and raising barriers.

Much has contributed to that consciousness and the pandemic has accelerated that to a great degree. The need for collective security, the challenges of climate change, new sources of energy, food security, the great divide between the haves and the have-nots, global healthcare — these are among the challenges facing our world today.

Every one of us can be a bridge-builder and be on the right side of history.

As for me, my corporate life is finally coming to an end today. After 17 years at Honeywell and 36 years in the business world, I am finally stepping down and giving the reigns of global High Growth Regions to my very capable successor, Ben Driggs.

I often reflect on the events of the past thirty years since I moved to China and witnessed human transformation on an unimaginable scale. My personal and professional journey, taking me to more than 130 countries, going through 35 passports and running businesses in every conceivable corner of the planet and with the most diverse representation of humanity, was a privilege that I shall never take for granted. Along the way, I have learned, I have been humbled and I have witnessed richness of culture and people that I can only characterize as my life 2.0!

Now, at this inflection point, I feel I am entering a new chapter — life 3.0. I have some ideas of what its may entail — greater giving back, building bridges between the east, the west and the “rest”, connecting mega-trends that I am passionate about — Climate Change, Energy Transformation, Food Security, Global Mobility and Education. However, there are many unknowns as to how I would spend my time in each of these areas and what shape that life will take. What I do know is that building bridges will take a lot of collaboration and determination. The conviction and passion to move forward, despite the uncertainty of the form and shape, makes it exciting and energizing.

Perhaps most symbolically, Life 3.0 will bring things together in threes: Building bridges between: Technologies, Teams and Trends across the East, the West and the Rest. I call it “Tribridge”.

Stay tuned!

Shane Tedjarati — 31-December, 2021

Los Cabos, Mexico