“A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future” by Daniel Pink

As the title explains, the core message of Daniel Pink’s second published book is that in today’s world, those that think with their ‘right brain’ will become the leaders of the future. In order to understand what this means, it should be known that the left side of the brain is considered to be responsible for linear reasoning and language functions whereas the processing of visual stimuli and artistic ability are believed to be functions of the right side of the brain, or the right hemisphere. Essentially, Pink argues that qualities such as vision and originality are key determinants in order to achieve success in today’s ‘Conceptual Age’ as he defines today’s constantly changing and globalized world, which according to him is composed by creators and empathizers.

Pink’s book outlines the growing importance of creativity in the future of business, which is of great significance in the face of global organizations, leaders, and economies. As has been proven by countries such as Finland and the Finland experience, innovation is one if not the key driver of profitability, and innovation cannot be carried out without creativity. Hence, the obvious implication of Pink’s book is that the first leaders that learn to both value and encourage creative mindsets will gain a unique competitive advantage over rivals and will therefore be able to differentiate themselves from competitors.

In this book, Pink makes reference to three current trends signaling what lies in the future for both businesses and economies, which I found to be of great interest. The first trend he identifies is ‘abundance’, which describes the lack of scarcity in today’s world with consumers having too many choices and more that enough material goods. ‘Asia’ is the second trend, which regards the constantly growing amount of outsourcing being done around the world due to inexpensive labor, and finally ‘automation’ refers to mechanization and the daily growth of technology. These developments lead to changes in the way business is conducted as well as to a series of questions that must be answered in order to continue moving forward successfully.

Finally, Daniel Pink describes in depth what he considers to be the six primary abilities required to thrive in the ‘Conceptual Age’. These abilities are: design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning. The book explores each one in depth, however in short these abilities are basically the opposite of what has been traditionally accepted and valued: function, argument, focal point, reason, seriousness, and accumulation.