It has been in the air for some time now, this all talk around the fast food generation — or the Facebook Generation as Gary Hamel prefers to term the Generation Y — and its so-called incessant need to live in the moment.

As we watch Capitalism version 2.0 pan out, we are acutely aware of the changing role of government, financial institutions, equity markets in the new landscape. However, look below the surface. The new dynamics are also resulting in a fast-changing kaleidoscope within, with new patterns beginning to emerge.

There is new life kicking in amidst all this talk of gloom and doom.

Heroes emerge in challenging times.

Look back into history and you will see that true heroes have emerged in the most trying periods. Names that shine out are of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. They are revered as heroes because of the enormity of what they achieved in spite of the odds stacked against them.

You’ve probably read about the dibba-walas of Mumbai. They are part of Six Sigma folklore today, having been showcased across the world for their error-free business model.

On his return from Davos, George F Colony, the Founder and CEO of Forrester Research and a voice that commands respect on matters relating to the economy, wrote: “Clearly, no one knows what the hell is going on.” Confusion seems to have become an overriding sentiment as the world sets about sorting its way out through