A Geographical Accident

Read the tumultuous story of my life as an international professional nomad recounting observation, reflections, and eclectic experiences gathered while living, working, and traveling in over 85 countries during about 50 years. Firsthand involvement in this wide range of events and diverse situations shaped my values, opinions, and philosophy about life and living, and formed the basis of this story.

I spent 20 of those years working with the Caterpillar Inc. organization proper and another 10 years working within Caterpillar’s international dealer organizations. In addition, another 12 years was spent completing a  variety of restructuring assignments in Canada.

Originally an engineer, I gradually developed a specialty in management and leadership of business organizations, particularly those that needed to reverse performance from decline and failure to recovery and success. What I portray represents my own personal views and is not a corporate matter.

Mr. E. B. White, author of the well-known Elements of Style, instructs writers not to inject opinions into their writing. To do so is to imply that the demand for them is brisk. I am certain the demand for my opinions is not brisk; however, we all live in a storm of opinions, most of which are way off the mark for successful living. Therefore, I freely express mine, thinking, naively perhaps, that they might provoke better choices for better living.  Like most, I am careful not to let my lack of knowledge of a subject deter me from expressing an opinion.

The world is full of educated derelicts, and a scholarly education and a lengthy pedigree do not necessarily validate one’s beliefs or opinions; only the quality of the logic behind them can determine their value. The reasoning should be robust; it should not be based on trite, commonly accepted clichés that merely happen to be popular. I urge you to consider whether my opinions are based on a morality of life that promotes living well, or on a morality of death that promotes self-sacrifice, deprivation, and suffering.

The accomplishments of the universe are great and wondrous for us to appreciate, marvel at, and enjoy. Each of us is a rare and unique human being who should be free to flourish as a proud, independent, sovereign individual with inalienable rights. I challenge you to weigh my opinions according to these criteria.

In the 21st century, success in business will require a global perspective and the mind-set to communicate and interact with people from many different societies and cultural backgrounds. Even small businesses must communicate closely with multinational partners in order to thrive and grow.

To build successful careers, younger generations will need to work effectively in a multi-national environment. That will become increasingly important as the century unfolds. I hope that my experiences and reflections will provide some insight into the challenges and opportunities to be encountered along the way. Perhaps they will be an inspiration, especially to younger nomads who aspire to careers in international business, as well as to those who simply wish to live flourishing lives and to understand more about the global community in which they live.

Enjoy the journey. Flourish. Live well. Do not submit. Avoid becoming a passenger in life. And don't forget to buy the book and write a brief review.

Thanks