Unite!

There is no doubt that President Trump is shaking up the world. The shake-up is most pronounced within the USA, with federal departments being restructured, dismantled or even shut down completely. His administration is doing so in pursuit of efficiency. It is true that most government bureaucracies are bloated.

The private sector have found new, better ways of working: leveraging automation, technology, AI and agile processes. There is a method of how these companies go about being efficient and effective while providing better customer service, higher employee satisfaction and deliver shareholder value. Methodologies such as Six Sigma, BPR, Agile@Scale have been implemented successfully for decades. Hopefully the people in DOGE are making use of such tried and tested methods and bring about efficiency with the least pain to all stakeholders. It is not clear that they are.

Outside of the USA, his actions have provoked reactions. Many countries are contemplating reciprocal tariffs. I am worried it could spiral into a frightening lose-lose proposition. But there is an upside too. While he is disuniting the country at home, he has single handedly united foreign States and region. 

Consider Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a bold, uplifting speech to his fellow Canadians, he found a moment to unite and mobilise them to a higher purpose. Beyond the North American continent, the foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea met to pledge greater security solidarity with each other. And economically, these countries are structuring deals to trade with one another rather than with the country imposing tariffs on them.

More than half the world just voted in (new) governments last year and from PM Modi to President Prabowo, each leader is finding that they have been "gifted" with a unique opportunity to unite their respective country against the circumstances brought about by President Trump.

Nothing rallies a nation like a common external enemy. It's ironical. In his zeal to make America great again (and it is not clear he can), he may have accidentally provided the environment to make other countries great (and they all might just do). Give the man a Nobel Peace prize, I say.