Today is the first day of 2025.

What a wonderful day to wake up in the new year.

Like any other day, it could be great and not so great depending on your perceived reality and expectations for the year.

We still have wars, rumors of wars, conflicts, preventable diseases and hunger, corruption, moral decay, environmental degradation, homelessness and drugs in many streets, and a host of other social ills.

But individuals at their level of their influence can make changes, foster and promote changes in their own lives and at their communities, without costing them a lot of their efforts, time, and energy.

We don't need more martyrs, we need pragmatic actors who are simply rooted in reality but optimistic and highly adaptive. 

In 2025, there are three areas that purpose-centric organizations will continuously contend even more: 

First, the rapid integration of generative AI to make the work of analysis, documentation, monitoring, and sense-making has become easier than ever before. But using AI technology alone at this incipient stage wont get your organization funded or put in the hall of fame for AI bandwagon. What you need to up your game is not reliance on technology to do your jobs but to augment technology with human insight using thick description to have a real feel of what's going on the ground and get the distinction right between perceptions and reality. What new skills do you need to augment AI in these areas?  

Second, during the pandemic, the weakest of the non-profits died a natural death, merged with a stronger entity, or carried their mandate in a new totally different form. These adaptations are crucial in an increasing tighter regulatory environments, private calls for more transparency public donations and net social impact  Where ESG and corporate philanthropy fail is where the non-profits succeed, with lots of social capital and credibility from the onset. But to exist automatically because you're serving the world is no longer a good business proposition and untenable. Your mission doesn't justify your existence, your sustainability and net social gain do. This time, the strongest will continue to be strong and the weak must be able to catch-up or else, there is no charity waiting in the horizon. You are expected to demonstrable impact at every turn. 

Third, when technology and increasingly mandatory impact as a business objective become front and centre, what investments will you be making to get this right?  Workforce upskilling is one, work flexibility, is another, and increasing organizational innovation, finding the right way to structure the organization according to fast growing societal trends and economic pressures.  What are you doing to strengthen the capacities you have from within? What opportunities  exist that you can leverage? What you should say No to so you can say Yes to growth? 

Changemakers, which I call "Provocateurs" will not be complacent about their success. You either do it or not, don't try.

And if your organization is not in the best position to tackle these challenges, get help and don't do this charade forever that everything is okay when it's not. You can do better than most executives at impacting many lives when you care about results than looking good in the annual reports and social media.

​If you want real-time strategy, just look at the current Middle East conflict involving Israel and Iranian proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqis and Syrian factions.

That this is fascinating case study with real-time development minute by minute is an under-statement.

Students of strategy, conflict resolution and negotiation, military history, state spy craft, and policy and global governance take copious notes. 

What is/are the strategic objectives of the following actors?

Israel

The United States

UK

France

Turkey

Lebanon State

The Islamic Republic of Iran

China

Russia 

Qataris/Saudis/Bahrainis

Jordan

Egypt

UN/UNRWA/UNIFIL

Non-state actors: corporates, NGOs, media, philanthropists

I just listed a couple of these actors and of course, not exhaustive.

But from someone looking at this as a strategy example, you can't help but think we have been here before.

There are clear patterns of behaviors and choices made in the past that can point to how this conflict will evolve in a few months.

It doesn't matter what you do.

Even if you're cleaning the sewer or mowing the lawn, it's a game-changer to be strategic.

If you're not being strategic, you're insidiously losing.

From my last keynote with Mines, I articulated three types of change responders:

15% are those that will not change- The Immovables.
Whether through commission or omission, they won't budge, no matter.

50% will be favorable to your change- The Converted.
This is your audience and you need to maintain their interest, alignment, and engagement. 

35% will be the agnostic - The Fence-Sitters and Hecklers. 
These are the people waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting for signs of seriousness or grave consequences for not cooperating with change. Some are resisting and will become the immovables. While some will realize their follies and get converted.

Differentiate the agnostics based on the values, interests/agenda, and emotions pervading the air and craft strategies that would best deal with these factors. 

Do not fear resistance. Resistance is a good sign of engagement. It's the placebo of a foreseeable future. Resisters can be easily dismantled based the logic they provide. Logically, once these issues are addressed, you can expect that initial passion of resistance will wane and people will adapt to their new situation. 

It's important to take a critical look at what you've got: Time/Resources/Risks

Do you all the time and resources in the world to have all these responders engaged until you win them over? Is winning them over the goal?

What constitutes a significant support to move the needle to the new direction?

What risks could you encounter when changing or continuing with the status quo? Which one would hurt the most?  

What engagement interventions will make or break the change process? 

Your call.