Stewardship in a Disruptive World

“Disruption” would easily qualify as the term that rocks the business world in recent times. It has evolved, spun new buzzwords and encompassed waves of innovations in technology and business. Its pace and scale have heralded both hopes and fears – as disruptive technologies break down walls to enable more participation in economic and social activities, while also dividing, displacing and disenfranchising businesses and communities. Sometimes termed as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, the digital transformation has profound, wide-reaching implications on industries, and on how business are done. There is no doubt that the mantra “disrupt or be disrupted” rings loud with a sense of relevance and urgency.

Against this backdrop, investors and business leaders ponder hard on how to focus on their purpose, hold true to their values, and sustain the relationship with their stakeholders as well as the environment and the community in which they are a part of. In short, they have to re-think how to be good stewards of what they have been entrusted with, and continue to be enduring forces for good amid the challenges, dilemmas and opportunities in a disruptive world.