Many people find themselves caught off balance as the globe begins to shake faster and faster. But the answer is not to hunker down and erect defensive barriers—it is to take action. Our world needs leaders capable of collaborating with other cultures and taking prudent risks to create a new range of opportunities. Action requires courage and resilience when obstacles arise.

The challenge of courageous decision-making can be better understood once we understand how the following six considerations help Western business leaders to adapt to the economic and political environment that is shaping the future: Nonwestern cultural norms; technological and other skills of Generation Y; women as a labor resource; continue the expanding role of shareholder interests; the changes to capitalism in creating entrepreneurs; and convergence of values stemming from the growth of democracy.