Building trust in a smart society: managing in a modular, agile and decentralized way

Building trust in a smart society asks one essential question: how can we manage complexity in a world where interactions become more data-rich and more global?

The idea of an increasingly algorithm-based set of systems for running our lives provokes fear in a lot of people, and there certainly are ethical and technical dilemmas to contend with. We hear about the poorly controlled financial systems responsible for the stock market crash of 2008 and wonder if the system is now running us. The first self-replenishing fridge goes on sale and we start to think it can't be long until the machines take over - Terminator-like. And when even our landmark political decisions seem to be at the mercy of 'bots' and the tweets they send out is it any wonder we despair of our technological future?

So is there a positive side to this complex world? There are in fact huge possibilities here for those willing to evolve alongside the technology and learn to use it to their advantage. Technology will (some would say has to) continue to develop, so how might leaders and business owners work with it? At the heart of Building trust in a smart society is a MAD idea - that by throwing off traditional organizational systems and taking a modular, agile and decentralized approach, businesses can evolve and grow, while those unwilling to adapt are left behind. Complexity can become opportunity.

Building trust in a smart society is essential reading for those willing to embrace the future and change the way they interact with the world.