Roadmap to a Brighter Future: Reimagining and Realizing America's Possibilities

by Paul A. Laudicina

Overview

A Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller


America's best days should still lie ahead. Here’s the realistic and definitive path to get us there.

The future doesn’t just happen. It’s a choice that we can and must help determine. But as our deeply divided nation reels from converging crises and seemingly intractable discord, where do we begin when the stakes are unfathomably high?

With multiple possible futures before us, Americans need to understand the specific consequences of our immediate choices, seize the opportunity to renew the nation's promise, and set the stage to benefit current and future generations. If we chart our course correctly, we can emerge from our current troubles with a brighter future in reach of all Americans.

Based on decades of expertise in envisioning and articulating policy options, Paul Laudicina lays out four vastly different visions for America's future. In Roadmap to a Brighter Future, he outlines why the best version of America will only come about if the correct actions are taken now—and outlines the ten steps needed to decisively tackle our most pervasive problems and address critical priorities.

Laudicina, who led one of the world's most-respected management consultancies and has worked as a longtime senior advisor to Joe Biden, also integrates the uncensored views and fresh ideas of dozens of the world's leading thinkers, CEOs, scientists, government leaders, and innovators, to show why optimism about the United States is not only warranted, but crucial.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781953295644
Publisher:	BenBella Books, Inc.
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Paul Laudicina is chairman emeritus of Kearney, one of the world's largest strategy consulting firms, and founder of its Global Business Policy Council, a top-ranked think tank helping CEOs and government/civil society leaders anticipate and rise to the challenge of navigating a transformed world. Earlier in his career, he served as then-Senator Joe Biden's legislative director, and as founder of the policy division of SRI International (the former Stanford Research Institute). Laudicina is also the author of several books and a CEO coach working with Korn Ferry, the world’s leading executive search, human resources, and leadership development firm. Consulting Magazine, which regularly named him to its ranking of the Top 25 most influential consultants, awarded Laudicina its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019—the profession's highest honor. He divides his time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Scottsdale, Arizona; his office in Washington, DC; and client sites and podiums across five continents.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Introduction: There Is One Past, and One Present, but Multiple Possible Futures 1

1 Where Are We and How Did We Get Here?

Chapter 1 Okay, We've Been Living in a Disaster Movie. How Do We Bring It to a Positive End? 11

Chapter 2 What's Holding Us Back? 29

2 Why a Better Future Is Possible

Chapter 3 Humanity Is Resilient, and So Is the United States-Just Study History 47

Chapter 4 Great Leaders Change Reality 65

Chapter 5 Even Fragmented Societies Can Build Consensus Around Big Goals 77

3 A Guided Tour to the Future

Chapter 6 Envisioning the Future: Four Alternative Visions of America 2030 95

Chapter 7 10 Propositions for America-Enabling the "New New Deal" We Need 131

Chapter 8 Keeping the Peace: Uncle Sam Engages the Dragon, the Bear, and the Tiger 169

Chapter 9 It's Also Time for a "Global New Deal" that Restores the International Order 185

Afterword 197

Acknowledgments 202

Selected Bibliography 206

Index 211

About the Author 219

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This sensible, powerful, and supremely practical book is a welcome prescription to help us navigate out of the maze of political discord and bitterness in which America finds itself today.”
—Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy (Ret), Former Dean, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe

“Paul Laudicina has written a manifesto for America in the coming decade. His energy, vision, and faith in our future shine through the pages and his scenarios for where the country could and should go make for compelling reading.”
—Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America; former Dean, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

 “Paul Laudicina is an outstanding thought leader. If you are seeking clarity in a time of uncertainty, and hope in a time of despair, Paul is the author to read.”
—Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries

 “Roadmap to a Brighter Future captures the intensity of hard choices society must make and vividly paints credible scenarios ahead about the fragility of America’s purpose at home and abroad. Paul Laudicina tells us how to get it right. But will we listen?”
—Steve Clemons, Editor at Large, The Hill

 “Paul Laudicina brings his deep curiosity, contextual thinking and strategic perceptiveness together to deliver a timely analysis of the critical societal challenges facing the US and the world today, and to lay out concrete propositions for a better future. Paul brings much-needed optimism, while reminding us that nothing is predestined and that we must take responsibility for the future we want to see.”
—Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board, Nestlé

 “Few people can match the encyclopedic knowledge that Paul Laudicina has accumulated in his fascinating career. His wisdom and broad experience shine through in this book. There is no better thoughtful guide for managing through these challenging times than this volume.”
—Kishore Mahbubani, founding Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; author of Has China Won?

 “Few authors have the insightfulness, incisiveness and intelligence to bridge the pragmatic and the profound like Paul Laudicina.  He not only discerns the divisions we face today, he manages to challenge us as leaders, and as a country, to see our more integrative and enduring potential.  Beyond a brilliant read, this book is a mindset and heartset shifting experience for us all.”
—Kevin Cashman, Global Co-Leader of CEO and Enterprise Leader Development, Korn Ferry; author of Leadership from the Inside Out and The Pause Principle
 
“Roadmap to a Brighter Future provides bold and practical prescriptions for how the country can draw on its history of momentous transformation and once again renew itself as a stronger and better and more inclusive society.”
—Richard Florida, Author of The Rise of the Creative Class
 
“This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of the world. Every CEO should read it!”
—Sebastian Edwards, Henry Ford II Professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management; author of American Default

“From a longtime friend and former staffer of Joe Biden's, Paul Laudicina's book could not land at a more opportune time. Laudicina gives America a clear and much needed way ahead for a country whose best days could still lie ahead—if it would only pay heed to the wise counsel of those such as Laudicina. The time is fully ripe for Laudicina's excellently argued roadmap.”
—Edward Luce, US National Editor, Financial Times
 
“Amid all its current problems, America is disheartened, confused, and lacking in confidence. Paul Laudicina shows a pathway back to full vigor and economic hope. This book is refreshing, enjoyable, and above all a beautiful mixture of practicality and inspiration. Wonderful, and badly needed at this time!”
—W. Brian Arthur, Economist, Santa Fe Institute; Visiting Researcher, Intelligent Systems Lab, PARC
 
“The future belongs to realistic optimists, and Paul Laudicina articulates this beautifully and why this is so true for the US today.  It should be read by all business, political, and civil society leaders, maybe twice!”
—Muhtar Kent, former Chairman & CEO, The Coca-Cola Company; Board Member, Special Olympics
 
“In this penetrating and lively book, Paul Laudicina notes there are many possible futures. But, above all, it provides a vision of the better future we ought to choose. We must put our trust, not in unreasoning fear, but in rational hope. This book provides just that.”
—Martin Wolf CBE, Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times
 
“Don’t bet against progress, Paul Laudicina advises in this insightful, heartfelt, and sizzlingly written book.”
—Edward Lucas, Columnist, The Times; former Senior Editor, The Economist
 
“Paul Laudicina’s book is the strong dose of optimism and rationality we desperately need. A must-read for policy makers, business executives… and everyone who cares about uplifting humanity.”
—Vivek Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
 
“History, sociology, and economics are woven together in a breezy readable style to structure this volume on the challenges facing America but also the outlines for a brighter future.”
—Catherine Mann, Former Global Chief Economist, Citibank; Former Chief Economist and G20 Finance Deputy, OECD
 
“Read this compelling think piece to peer into America’s promising future and how to 'get our mojo back.'”
—Josef Joffe, Professor of Practice, Johns Hopkins University; Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Stanford University.
 
“Paul's brutally honest and equally insightful views on the past, present and future are a must-read!” 
—Mpumi Madisa, CEO, Bidvest Group
 
“Paul Laudicina has always brought an exceptionally perceptive eye and superb judgement to his analysis of the world’s problems.  Read what he has to say.  It matters, and he has valuable insights for all of us.”
—Sir Rod Eddington AO, Former CEO, British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways
 
“Paul Laudicina offers an encouraging multi-faceted view on how to get on a much better track to the future. Although focused on America, it is a must read for the entire world as we are all facing the described transformational changes!”
—Jürgen Hambrecht, Supervisory Board Member, Daimler AG; Former Chairman, BASF