VIDEO: How can the concept of hope help the travel industry thrive?

The unprecedented events of the past 18 months have served as a wake-up call for individuals and corporations alike on numerous levels.

In fact, the changes underway from a societal, economic and environmental standpoint have been so dramatic, it can be easy to lose sight of the sheer significance - and promise - of the current moment.

“People get so focused on the problems of their era that they really don’t see the opportunities,” says Blair Taylor, managing director of talent and organization and North American lead inclusion and diversity at Accenture.

But tapping into what Taylor calls the “persistent reality of hope” can not only help in confronting the challenges at hand, but also in finding the solutions forward, he says, speaking during Phocuswright’s Diversity in Leadership online event earlier this week.

“If you think about the era we’re living through now, you’ve got this balance of humanity and technology, which is something we’ve never seen before and is moving faster and faster every year,” Taylor, a former executive with PwC and Starbucks, says.

“All of these [challenges] are screaming for corporate intervention and corporate involvement to help find solutions.”

Regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, corporations must think at a macro level and act at a micro level - both internally and externally – Taylor continues.

In the session, titled “How Does the ‘Persistent Reality of Hope’ Help us to Thrive?,” Taylor also explains why corporate leaders must work to make themselves intentionally uncomfortable to try and gain a sense of genuine empathy.

“If you’re ignoring this, you’re ignoring the future, and I don’t think it’s possible to be successful if you’re ignoring those things,” he says.

“From a corporate perspective, there has never been a more important time for companies to step forward, and companies have never been better resourced or had better incentive to do so than right now.”

Watch the full interview with PhocusWire’s Jill Menze below.