Success in the 21st Century - Coursework Example

Success in the 21st Century Name College Date Introduction The world we live in today is very demanding, and is yet to get more so. The 21st century is dynamic, and what worked for previous centuries may not necessarily work for this one. For this reason, it is important that the current and future generations are equipped with the necessary attributes and skills to not only survive, but further thrive in the coming years. The matter of which skills and attributes these may be is a contentious issue that has attracted many contrasting views. Education can only go so far; and the same can be said for talent. The individual that is best suited for success in the 21st century is the one with a very broad range of skills and attributes. The current world needs a combination of talent and education, as well as other personal attributes, for anyone to be successful. The education bit serves to provide the background information. This individual needs to be multidisciplinary, resilient and hungry for knowledge. Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner In this article, the author suggests that the coming years will be favorable to those with a particular set of traits; what he calls the five minds. He believes that education should not just be a matter of giving information to the learners. These five minds should be taught and instilled in the learners from a tender age so they are well versed to handle the expected as well as the unexpected in the future. The five minds, as he states them, are the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating minds, the respectful mind and the ethical mind. The system of education also needs to be revised, as old methods are not as effective anymore. The disciplined mind endeavors to master a certain discipline. To achieve this mastery, a certain dedication to the discipline is required; as it takes up to ten years. The synthesizing mind is able to gather information from an array of sources and process it. It is then able to evaluate and present this information in a way that is easy to understand, for the synthesizer and for others as well. The creating mind is able to come up with new ways to do things, or on a larger scale, come up with new inventions altogether. The respectful mind seeks to understand and accept others, even when their views contrast his own. The ethical mind has broken free of self-serving interests. This individual is only out to serve the greater good. He is constantly seeking ways to benefit his community, his country, or the universe as a whole. He has defined his role in the circle of life, and what niche he occupies as prescribed by his discipline. As Gardner suggests, an individual should have a discipline he has mastered. I think, however, that in the 21st Century, one discipline alone is not enough. One should be diverse, with a broad range of interests. One can never have too much information or too many skills or talents. There is no such thing as too much experience. He should have at least three things he is good at, and then learn many more new things. In the coming years, competition will be rather high, and each person should be able to stand reasonably on his own. Every organization and/or company requires more such people to ensure success. Gardner also mentions that the formal education sector does not prepare children adequately for success in the 21st century. This is right. No class can teach resilience. The 21st Century is rather dynamic, and challenges will arise time and again in a person’s quest for success. This person should have the will to go on even when things get difficult. He must be able to fight through the challenges and come out the other side stronger than ever. Unfortunately, no degree of synthesis or creativity can help with this. It is therefore up to the informal education sector; that is, the media, parents and peers, and the environment in general, to instill this value in the children, to set the future generations on the right track. This of course requires the society to practise resilience before they can teach it, so developing resilience would be the first step. One important thing that Gardner fails to mention in his article is the hunger for knowledge. This is a particularly important trait in this century. In fact, it is the prerequisite for being multidisciplinary. If one does not feel the need to constantly learn new things, there is no way he can advance his one discipline, let alone learn others. He will be stuck in a slump and drag down with him whatever company or organization he is heading. A successful person is never satisfied with what he knows, and recognizes that there is way much more that he is yet to learn in terms of knowledge, skills and experiences. . 21st Century Talent Spotting by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz The author is of the opinion that in the 21st century, potential is of greater importance than experience, brains and “competencies”. What will ensure success is how well the person can adapt to changes; seeing as the world today is ever changing. Talent, in this case, refers not just to previously acquired skills. It refers, more importantly, to how malleable an individual is in the face of adversity. There are five indicators of such a personality: motivation, curiosity, insight, engagement and determination. First, the individual should be motivated. The person should be able to push himself to go the extra mile; and be able to produce quality work under minimal supervision. This person should also have a curious personality. This means that the individual is always out to obtain new information, skills and experiences; and to put them to practice. It is also necessary for the person to be insightful. Having obtained new information, he is able to process it such it is applicable in more relatable instances. He is able to anticipate changes and events judging from the information he has acquired. He is also engaging. He can use logic and emotion to persuade people; and can put up a convincing argument if the need arises. It is also very important that the person be determined. He should have the will to fight through challenges and emerge the victor. I think Fernandez captures the requirements for success more accurately. As I mentioned earlier, it is very useful to be multidisciplinary. It does not hurt to have many skills and experiences in one’s pocket, does it? For one to achieve this, he must have the right motivation. He must want to acquire multiple disciplines as he recognizes their importance. He must first have the interest in these disciplines, and then strive to perfect them. Resilience goes hand in hand with determination. In the journey to success in the 21st Century, there is no room for the faint hearted. One just cannot afford to fall by the roadside and give up. A determined individual will stop at nothing to see his goals and dreams realized. He is goal-oriented, and no matter how big a challenge is tossed his way, he will handle it and emerge victorious. When a person is determined enough, he has no choice but to be resilient. These people are particularly well versed to succeed as the years to come will be extremely dynamic, and it will need them to be flexible enough to adjust to whatever new thing is in the market. Fernandez also adequately captures the fact that a successful person is always hungry for knowledge. He says this person should be curious, which is the same thing. This person feels the need to constantly want to acquire new information and skills. He should also be open to change, which is a rather big deal because the 21st century is very dynamic. He should seek to find out what others before him have discovered and come up with; and at the same time seek to wander virgin territory and come up with new things and/or methods, or approaches to different situations. He should anticipate change, and figure out ways to tackle said changes. Conclusion As we have covered, in this century, things are extremely dynamic. The scene changes all the time; and what was true two days ago may not be true in two weeks. It therefore requires a flexible person; someone who is able to adapt to changes; foreseen and otherwise. For this reason, one needs to have an ever-growing hunger for knowledge and new skills and experiences. He should also be multidisciplinary and resilient. These requirements are clear from the two articles. Even though the two authors have different approaches to the question, it is clear that they both have the right idea. Whether they call them “minds” or “talents”, the idea is basically the same. Their arguments point in the same direction and that direction is what I have summarized into three character traits: resilient, multidisciplinary and hungry for knowledge. References Gardner, Howard. (2008) Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business Press. Fernández-Aráoz, Claudio. (2014) 21st-Century Talent Spotting: Why potential now trumps brains, experience, and “competencies”. Harvard Business Review Press. Read More