Are You Leading For The World We Have...

...Or The World We Had?

As you know, within StrategyTraining.com, we've been tracking global trends for a long time. And you and I have always known the West wouldn’t hold a lead forever.

But when you spend time on the ground in different parts of the world the shift becomes undeniable.

Regions once considered “developing” now operate with systems, infrastructure, and technology that often surpass what we experience in the West.

It’s visible in how daily life works. Cashless payments, logistics, services, scale. It’s fast, reliable, and integrated.

They are no longer catching up.
 

In many areas, leadership has already changed hands,
most people just don't realize it yet.

Let me share two examples that illustrate what’s happening.

You probably know Xiaomi as a smartphone brand. Recently, they launched their first electric vehicle, the SU7 Ultra. It accelerates from zero to 62 mph in under two seconds and posted one of the fastest lap times for any production EV.

Ferrari purchased it and shipped it to Maranello. To study it.

A tech company that wasn’t in the auto industry five years ago now builds a car Ferrari considers serious enough competitor to analyze.

That’s not catching up.
 

That’s setting the new standard.

Then there’s BYD. They started in battery manufacturing. Today, they are the largest electric vehicle company in the world by volume. Over four million EVs were sold last year. EV revenue over $100 billion.

They don’t only build cars. They produce batteries, semiconductors, public transport systems, an integrated model that’s scaling rapidly.

And this, of course, is happening not only in the automotive industry. 

For years, the West led and the rest followed. That was the accepted dynamic.

It reminds me of a group of boys growing up together.

Early on, one boy is taller, stronger, and naturally becomes the leader. Everyone defers to him. He sets the pace.

But part of the reason he led was timing. The others had just come through a tough period. They were recovering, still finding their footing. So he pulled ahead and for a long time, everyone assumed he’d always be out in front.

But over time, the others grew: taller, stronger, or smarter. They developed their own strengths. They no longer followed. 

And the old dynamic couldn’t last.

After World War II, much of the world was rebuilding. The U.S. emerged from that period stronger, more intact, and took a leading role.

And those circumstances have changed.

The rest of the world recovered. The lead wasn't permanent. And it’s already being challenged.

That’s the situation now.

The West was once the clear leader: economically, technologically, militarily. Many still think that’s the case.

But leadership in key areas has already shifted, or is shifting fast.

When one power rises and another declines, it often creates tension. History has a name for this: Thucydides’ Trap. The term comes from the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who wrote about the war between rising Athens and established Sparta. It describes what happens when an established power is challenged by a rising one. Often, the result is conflict.

Translation:

Often, the result is war.

Sometimes it’s avoided. But it always forces change.

It’s what happened when Athens challenged Sparta, triggering the Peloponnesian War.

It happened again when Germany rose against Britain and France in the early 20th century, leading to two world wars.

And now, many believe we’re seeing a version of this play out again, as China rises and the US faces increasing pressure to maintain its leadership.

What does this mean for you?

If you’re leading a business or managing your career, you need to adapt to this new reality.

The competitive landscape is not what it used to be.

Worse, most people don't have any idea of what the competitive landscape is because they are not paying attention to what is happening outside of the West.

The strategies and benchmarks you’ve relied on may no longer reflect what’s needed to stay ahead.

Many are still acting as if the old dynamic holds. That others are still catching up.
 

That’s a mistake.

The shift already happened.

The question is whether you see it and whether you’re ready to operate at the new level the world now demands.

While we cover these shifts in many programs, the scale of change now calls for a focused, in-depth series. We are introducing a new category of programs with a working title: Leading Through Global Power Shifts. Some programs will be for both Insiders and Legacy members, and some more advanced programs will be for Legacy members. And relevant materials will also be added to the Strategy Control Room Advanced for those members who prefer to have reading materials as well. (Side note: We do not recommend using the SCRA as the only membership. You still need the training from Insider/Legacy. We recommend it as an optional add-on.)

This new series of programs helps executives, leaders, consultants, and business owners understand and respond to the changing global power dynamics, especially the rise of new leaders in innovation, infrastructure, and execution. It’s about how to recognize the real benchmarks, adjust strategy accordingly, and stay competitive in a world where traditional advantages are eroding.

Key Focus Areas For This Series:

1. Recognizing the Shift

   • How global leadership is changing in tech, manufacturing, infrastructure, and finance.

   • What companies like BYD, Xiaomi, and Tencent are doing differently, and why it works.

   • The end of the West’s monopoly on innovation: what this means for your strategy.

2. New Competitive Benchmarks

   • How to redefine “best practice” when leadership comes from new players.

   • Why speed, vertical integration, and ecosystem thinking now matter more than scale alone.

   • Key case studies: China’s EV dominance, India’s fintech acceleration, and more.

3. Strategic Response for Leaders

   • How to build agility into your strategy and operations.

   • Tools for staying informed and responding early, not late.

   • Avoiding complacency: how to lead without relying on legacy positioning.

4. Thucydides’ Trap, AI Arms Race, and Strategic Risk

   • Navigating the risks when global powers shift: from AI to geopolitics.

   • How AI accelerates this transition and how to use it strategically.

   • Scenario planning: how to prepare your organization for multiple possible futures.

5. Personal Career Strategy in a Changing World

   • How to position yourself as a leader when traditional markers of status are losing value.

   • Skills and mindsets that matter in a world where the pace of change is accelerating.

   • Finding and seizing global opportunities others aren’t seeing.

Why This Series Is Being Introduced?

Insiders and Legacy members need to not only understand what’s changing but act now, not later. This series is about staying relevant, staying competitive, and staying ahead, even when the benchmarks for success are shifting rapidly.

If you want to lead at the level today’s world demands, you need more than surface-level insights. You need tools, strategies, and support that reflect the real world, not outdated playbooks. That’s what you’ll find inside StrategyTraining.com.

This is why we created a new series for Insiders, Legacy, and Strategy Control Room Advanced members, leaders who want to navigate global power shifts with clarity and decisiveness, not be caught off guard or left behind.

You need to understand what’s changing and know how to respond regardless of your role or title.

And if you want to operate at a level that reflects where the world is now, not where it used to be, this series will help you do that.

StrategyTraining.com is built for those who want to see the shift early, act on it, and stay ahead, long before others realize what’s changed.