Crossroads, What path to take?
" Image Crossroads (C) by www.martin-liebermann.de"
I have not posted a recommended reading list in quite a while and realized that this is one of the best ways to share ideas in the best traditions of the Medici Effect of convergent ideas meeting at an intersection to be discussed and pondered. The lead off post hails from the desk of Thomas PM Barnett, Chief Analysis for Wikistrat. Tom's post is in response to an inquiry he received from a reader asking for career advice.
As I read "The Pentagon's New Map", I see the book's content as a balanced amalgamation of data, research and insights. You are exactly what I want to be what I grow up.I would love to be that analyst who makes a difference in the way business and political decisions are made.
Dr. Barnett's response was concise regarding this specific inquiry, but has lessons for everyone contemplating their future.How do you recommend I get to that point in my career?
Never turn down a chance to do public speaking. In fact, seek them out at every opportunity. Even if you do a lot of public speaking, it will take the usual 10,000 hours before you get really good.
Study as many foreign languages as you can fit in. Studying several languages is more important than mastering one. Good storytelling is ultimately translation, and the best-communicating experts are experts at talking to other experts from fields other than their own.
Write every day. If you don't get enough opportunities, then start you own blog or join a group blog.
Prepare to view good writing as a lifetime pursuit. It will take nonstop writing for about a decade before you really get good.
Whenever possible, seek out and work with professional editors on everything you write.
Read authors whose style you admire and work their tendencies into your own material.
Listen to what people say you do best and then do that as much as possible, getting others to do things for you that you do poorly. So if mentors you trust tell you're not a good writer and not a good speaker, then spending your life trying to overcome your weaknesses is probably not a great idea. You'd be better off sticking to what you're best at and trying to make those skills world class.
Read the whole post hereNobody is good at everything. Life involves choices.
Innovators
Co-billing this week is shared by this post from Enterra Insights that zero's in on innovation and how the US can remain the nation of innovators. Steve DeAngelis begins with this opening paragraph.
I don't believe that any particular group of people or type of person has a stranglehold on innovation. Innovators can come from all races, genders, religions, countries, economic circumstances, and cultures. Even so, that doesn't stop people from trying to detect hot spots of innovation to determine why those hot spots exist. One thing that most analysts agree upon is that education helps create such spots. Specifically, more young people need to be educated in science, technology, engineering and math, the so-called STEM fields. In the search for future innovators, one group that has received a lot of attention is immigrantsThe post is filled with insights and links that deserve reading and consideration of how we can ensure the future is one we all dream of for our children.
Read the whole post Innovators of the Future
This next post highlights the changing focus of our national defense and security back to the sea and our maritime heritage. Rimpac 2012 is wrapping up this week in Hawaii, where 22 nations naval forces came together to train and learn with the goal of preserving the free access to the worlds oceans. Here is the list from Information Dissemination, of the nations and vessels participating.
RIMPAC 2012
Rimpac 2012 Order of Battle
The focus on naval issues is most apparent when one considers these next recommended reads.
Iran Gearing up for naval fight in the PG versus US, ThomasPM Barnett
A Busy Week in the South China Sea, Center for International Maritime Security
And this trio of posts from a cracking new naval centric strategy blog, Flashpoints: Diplomacy by other means.
Military Strategy for an Unthinkable Conflict
The Land, the Sea, and History
Taiwan's South China Sea Plan
And finally, this on the latest growing boondoggle over whether the LCS can ever assume it's intended role.
Maintinance problems mount for the LCS
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