Daily Inspiration: “Pardon me while I interrupt your complacency!”

“Pardon me while I interrupt your complacency!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Complacency is a disease often caused by smugness, and leads to the complications of inaction. And the sad fact it, it is a very common affliction.

Yet often, it will not come about because of negligence, inattention or an attitude of superiority – but simply because someone is far too busy with other more pressing matters! Deadlines are far more important than what comes next with the disruption presented by the future!

Case in point : this Monday – from which the featured photo is taken – had me on stage in Montreal, Canada, at EY’s annual client tax conference. In the room were senior tax executives for major corporations from around the country.

Busy people, this audience! They’re responsible for managing complex tax situations for the multinational corporations for which they work; keeping up to date with a myriad of new global tax laws; ensuring that their organization is in full compliance with a complex world of ever changing regulations.

Even so, the CEO’s and senior strategy executives for whom they work are busy with other challenges – often dealing with the realities of business model disruption, fast changing markets, the rapid emergence of new competitors and more.

These tax folks at least need to be aware of these trends and the challenges and opportunities they present – and that’s why EY invited me in to open their conference!

Disruptive change might bring about a lot of business structure change, of which corporate tax strategies might play a key role.

The launch of new corporate partnerships or other vehicles that might drive future initiatives will involve complex new tax structures. The financing of vast new initiatives to keep up with a faster world will require new business partnerships, all of which will involve a complicated tax foundation.

You can’t be a great tax specialist if you don’t understand the next potential role you might play!

And hence – my keynote! Let me show you what comes next – and how your world, and your role, might be subjected to dramatic change!