What is the key to finding a job or an internship these days?

Focus on revenue.

Revenue is the life of a business. Without it nothing else happens. The easiest hiring decisions for a business are those that directly and positively impact revenue.

Help potential employers connect the dots ... help them see how the "investment" (i.e., expense) associated with bringing you on board will positively impact revenue ... better yet, profitable revenue.

Your resume and all your interaction with potential employers should make clear that you understand this premise and that you understand the role you can play in helping.

How many employers would turn down a clearly articulated win-win proposal like this one? Making this connection will open doors, lots of doors. Happy hunting : )

What will the biggest change be in the next 20 years?

Level setting.

As technology continues to develop and enable the almost frictionless move of information and capital, development and investment will continue its relentless pursuit of the "low points" (i.e., less developed areas where opportunities are better).

Like water in an uneven terrain - development will continue to gravitate to the valleys. Eventually, these "low points" will be "filled" and the world will see a more even landscape.

For those entering the workforce in the "high points" today (i.e., developed countries), education, hard work, and the ability to go with the "flow" and be flexible will be key.

In 100+ years, will a world with a more evenly distributed standard of living be finally a reality?

Is greater information transparency (e.g., Wikileaks, etc.) a good trend for the future?

Yes.

Imagine a world where governments operate in a fully transparent manner. A world where those that govern have no where to hide. What they do and how they do it is known.

What would the world be if dictators, strongmen, powerful corporations, corrupt governments, authoritarian regimes, despots, and religious fanatics could no longer control, manipulate, and alter the flow and/or content of information to their intended victims. The governed and the governing, the strong and the weak, suddenly, on a more equal footing.

Wikileaks, and those like it, are having a fundamental impact in the relationship between those in power and the general public. When information is immediately available, and verifiable, all that remains for those in power is transparency, truth, and ... the need to exhibit true leadership.

What about a “good” government? Do they have a legitimate need for some level of secrecy? Are governments and/or powerful entities inherently something we should always be worried about? Something we should constantly monitor? Something we should be able to change and correct on a timely basis? The founding fathers of the US thought so -- separation of powers, democracy, “for the people”, the right to bear arms, etc. All principles defined to ensure that our government remains accountable to the people. The new information transparency only becomes one more tool in this arsenal.

There will always be a need for some things to remain confidential. However, the bar will have to be high, the case for secrecy very strong, and the process for moving the bar carefully managed.

Imagine a world where governments, corporations, religious leaders, and those in power are closely monitored and held accountable. A world focused on “good” things and not on how best to get away with “bad” things.

Maybe this is the beginning of a world less focused on the few and more focused on the many : )

What is the biggest impact of all this technology-driven social networking?

Depth.

Technology these days is amazing. We can instantly communicate with anybody in the world at the touch of a button (e.g., email, texting, IM, video chat, call, etc.) And, social networking sites let us maintain contact with an ever increasing number of people.

However, have you ever noticed when you are in a public place how many people are totally engrossed on their handheld devices -- reading, typing, talking -- disconnected from the real-world? What happens when you take it to an extreme, unplug from the real-world and connect to a virtual one being fed to you electronically?

On the good side, it seems like we are having more interactions with more people than ever before. On the bad side, these interactions seem to be increasingly reactive, quick, short, and devoid of real human contact and depth.

What happened to slowing the world down to have a nice meaningful conversation with a real person? What about being able to laugh and touch and play with somebody. What about a meaningful exchange with a far away friend or loved one through a good old letter?

Is it better to have quick shallow interactions with a lot of people or a few slow deep ones. Are we losing depth while we expand breadth?

Could we have both? I think so but we need to fight the pull of one to give the other a chance. When in doubt, chose depth and disconnect for a while.

Do we need to be "religious" to be "good"?

No.

Among the many things built into our DNA, two seem fundamental. The curiosity to wonder where everything comes from and what the purpose of it all is; and, the basic need to be good and to do good.

Over the ages, peoples from around the world have developed varying interpretations (religions) to try to explain what lies beyond. At best, these man-made interpretations of what lie beyond incorporate the basic and natural need to be good. At worst, they are used to control and manipulate others through fear or worse.

In reality, one (i.e., religion) has nothing to do with the other (i.e., being good). In fact, religion often negatively impacts, alters, and distorts our natural instinct to be good and to do good in the worst possible way.

So, here are my suggestions:

• For our core need to believe in something greater – let’s think about it individually and develop our own way to make sense of this? No need to push or force our own interpretation/religion onto others? Trouble usually starts when the pushing begins.

• For our core need to do good for others – why don’t we just get busy and do something already? Why can’t we help people when they are hungry, sick, or needing comfort just because? Do we really need somebody else’s stories/religion of reward and punishment to compel us to act?

At the end of the day, I think “love” trumps all this craziness. If you do not have an answer to the first question, then focus on the second. Focus on love. Give a lot. Get a lot. You may then find the answer to the first question.

Who should be responsible for the proper transition of children into adulthood?

The family.

It seems that our society has developed an interesting system that continuously pushes, restricts, and encourages limits on the role a family should play in helping our children as they grow from adolescence into adulthood.

Why does our culture systematically deliver the notion to new adolescents that being with their parents should be embarrassing and that distancing themselves from their families is the thing to do? And, when it is time to go to college, why do we make them go from being an integral part of a home/family, with all that comes with it (i.e., support, coaching, values, boundaries, responsibilities, etc.), to complete separation over a weekend.

In addition, we have grown to expect the government to step in and do part of a family’s job by defining blanket laws for their growing children ... minimum ages for drinking, driving, smoking, military service, public place curfews, buying spray paint, TV shows, video games, movies, etc.

What ever happened to families stepping in and providing the necessary guidance and support to help teenagers successfully grow into full independence? What happened to making the transition into all of these things a more gradual and natural process based on the specifics of each child?

In other cultures where families (parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins - with all of their craziness and quirks) stay involved in all aspects of a growing teenager’s life the transition seems smoother.

Would our teenagers be better off having their birthday parties together with both their family and friends? Why should teenagers be embarrassed of the crazy aunt interacting with their friends if that is part of who they are? What is wrong with learning how to drink at the dinner table with the whole family instead of in a dark alley with friends hiding from the police? Why do we need to tell our children they need to leave home at 18, go to college and never come back, instead of providing a nurturing home until and when they are ready?

Is it because not all families are ready to provide the level of support required to ensure a healthy transition into adulthood? Maybe. On the other hand, why are so many healthy functioning families abdicating their responsibility in these areas to laws and culture?

Is it because it is just easier than to do the work? Think about what is at stake. The most important thing of all … our children.

How can we enjoy things more?

Simplify things - Less is more.

Have you noticed that when you limit the inputs to your brain, you actually seem to enjoy things more? You seem to be able to concentrate better and remember more things. You seem to get more pleasure from simpler things just because you are there, paying more attention, able to think deeper about what you are doing and about everything around you.

When we are constantly bombarded by information and advertising from the Internet, TV, movies, magazines, newspapers, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones/texting, iPads/iPhones, Blackberrys, etc., we have no choice but to react to this incessant stream of information demanding our attention. How are we supposed to find the time to just think about who we are? What is important to us?

When was the last time you had time to slow the world around you to analyze and observe, or to get to know yourself better? Was it at a time when these distractions disappeared? A trip to the mountains perhaps?

So, let's limit our exposure to things that rob us of time to enjoy our lives. If we are constantly reacting to somebody else's inputs, we are living somebody else's life. Remember, less is more.

What is the most unstable economic system?

Capitalism.

Capitalism, when left unchecked, tends to concentrate wealth the fastest. It is simple human nature - survival of the fittest.

Over time, the most aggressive, most intelligent, best educated, most resourceful, and luckiest will eventually take most of the resources over the less fortunate members of society.

Some of the most successful and stable forms of government today are those that find a way to harness capitalism's energy while controlling its bad side effects. These controls come in the form of regulations, incentives/disincentives, and some level of safety net that provides basic needs to those that cannot fend by themselves in such a system (e.g., elderly care/retirement, health care, etc.)

So, let's be nice to others while we enjoy the bounty, shall we? : )

What are some of your one-of-a-kind moments?

Two come to mind immediately:

• Coming home after a long trip and having my two little children and my wife running to meet me and then hugging me and kissing me ... you know right then that that is where you belong

• Getting up early in the morning in a far away country, far from everything, and getting on my motorcycle not knowing what amazing places I will see or what amazing people I will meet that day
  

At these times, the universe is completely aligned : )

Why do so many religions that support love cause so many wars?

Control over people.

At the end of the day, religions are man made structures. Religion is our futile attempt to try to explain the unanswerable life questions (e.g., what happens after we die, why are we here).

Throughout the ages, religion has often been about power, about controlling others, about inclusion/exclusion. Instilling fear or doing harm to whoever does not agree with a specific "story" is a way to control people and amass power using fear of the unknown as a weapon. It is human nature for the strong to try to control others.

On the other hand, it is also true that religion provides fertile ground for good people to get together and do good things (e.g., helping the poor, the less fortunate, the sick, orphans). Others are just seeking a reasonable way to explain life's big questions.

Unfortunately, because the rules and structures of religion are ultimately designed, implemented, and carried out by men - they are susceptible to all the good and bad that human nature has to offer.

So, would the world be better off without organized religion? Probably. And, given what we know, is separation of state and religion a good thing? Absolutely.

What happens after you have a near death experience?

Clarity and Focus.

It is interesting to me that after surviving one of these experiences, things in life seem way less cluttered. Some of the things that seemed important before, are no longer, and other things become clearer as a result.

Realizing that you cannot really take anything with you when you are close to the end has a powerful effect on your priorities and in identifying what really matters.

At that moment, the love you feel for your loved ones (family, friends, humanity, etc.) and the love they feel for you is all that you have left. At the end of the day, nothing else matters.

What is the purpose of life?

I do not know.

There are some premises and emerging hypothesis that are sort of helping me build an answer to this question. Starting with the fact that 3-4 generations down the road nobody is going to really remember who we were. Even if we do something transcendental like making a great discovery, all that would be remembered is a name - not the person or anything else.

So if this is the case, is it valid to say that all we can do is to ensure that we live each moment to the fullest and to love as intensely as possible?

Maybe our DNA is already programmed with the answer to the "what is the purpose of life" question. If we are really programmed to pass on our genes, isn't this the source of the most intense love you can find? .... your children, your mate, your family.

The danger in modern society is that it is too easy to get stuck in the pursuit of so called "basic needs" that go beyond true basic needs (food, shelter, etc.). We lump the endless accumulation of material things into this basic needs category (houses, cars, vacations, etc.) that we sort of forget what really matters.

So, until we figure out what the purpose of life is ... love and live ... intensely! : )

What is the United States' key competitive advantage?

Three things come to mind: ability to organize, efficient infrastructure, and immigration.

After traveling to more than 50 countries, I believe the US continues to shine in these 3 areas. Americans seem to have an innate ability and willingness to work together and cooperate to create very complex and highly efficient systems (i.e., corporations, networks, markets, etc.). This ability is embedded in society, in the education system, and in the people. Many other countries are still struggling with the "survival of the fittest" syndrome - where personal gains are to be pursued first and foremost regardless of the cost (e.g., corruption, exploitation, violence, etc.).

Another key advantage is the US' infrastructure (i.e., roads, telecom, government, laws, banking, employment, etc.) which is one of the most efficient in the world at all levels. Because of its ability to organize, the US has developed strong infrastructures that are resilient and built to last. As a result, very few countries have the ability to approve a mortgage in less than 3 minutes, or create a new company in less than 5, or dynamically adapt your workforce up or down to meet market demands, or quickly secure growth capital for a business that has shown a good track record, or design and operate airports that can process 10-12 landings and take-offs every minute, etc.

Finally, the energy, hunger, work ethic, ambition and creativity that newly arrived immigrants bring to the table are unquestionable. The US has built an immigration system that allows a steady and constant influx of new immigrant talent (e.g., the university system at the top levels and illegal immigration at the lowest levels). Interestingly, most millionaires (as measured by having at least one million dollars in liquid assets) are either immigrants or first generation immigrants. This influx of talent and energy is a vital component that keeps the US at the forefront of innovation, efficiency, and financial success.

(It is interesting that countries like Singapore are also beginning to realize the value of immigration as an economic engine. They are now allowing and relying on an influx of Chinese immigrants to keep the economy growing after their own population has begun to slow down to enjoy the fruits of the previous generations' efforts in getting this island nation to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.)

So, are we losing our competitive edge? Not yet.

The one thing that we need to realize is that the landscape is changing. We are no longer the sole and powerful economic "black hole" that everybody else orbits around. There are now 3 equally powerful, and potentially independent, centers of gravity - the EU, Southeast Asia, and the US. The game is definitely changing.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Born AND Made.

This is the one area where both nature and nurture have an important role to play. The risk taking, adventure seeking, resourcefulness, self-starting, self-driven characteristics of an entrepreneur need to be there from the start (the "born" part). However, these traits alone will not result in a successful entrepreneurial career ... or even an entrepreneurial start. Combining these traits with a compelling personal need, access to capital, know-how, experience, mentoring, and education are also critical (the "made" part).

And then, when you finally have the "born" and the "made" parts lined up - you also have to have the trigger that causes it all to start rolling (e.g., losing a job, a willing investor, a friend with the skills you need).

Knowing that you "are" an entrepreneur is the easy part - knowing when you have acquired and learned what it takes to succeed is a bit harder.

If you need help figuring it all out, find a mentor (an entrepreneur that has been through this before) to help you get moving ... and enjoy the ride!

How important are friends in influencing you?

Extremely important.

The environment we live in feeds our souls - friends, school, neighborhood, family, country, etc. Our DNA only helps us define how we manage what the environment throws at us. A great skill to have is to recognize this influence and control its effect on your soul.

If we think of our environment as a series of concentric circles around us, our friends and family represent the inner most ring and therefore the most influential. Their input gets transmitted to us the most directly and powerfully through heightened emotions, intellectual pursuits, and physical experiences. Have you ever noticed how a small circle of friends tends to like the same things? They dress alike, listen to similar music, like and dislike the same things? Imagine the power of this influence for the wrong things.

Beyond this inner circle we have the other circles in our lives - our neighborhood, our school, our city, the organizations we belong to, our country and its media, and the world and its current values.

So. take a moment and look at your inner circle of friends. Do you like what your see? Are these friends likely to have a positive influence in your life? If not, you know what to do : )

What is the best way to get somebody that you like to notice you?

Flirting.

Flirting only means that you think somebody is "interesting" and not that you are hopelessly in love and/or desperate. Flirting is harmless ... but useful. It is just a game to let the other person know that you may be willing to explore getting to know him/her better and see if there is really something there.

Flirting is especially useful with men. Men are a bit more clueless and they usually need more help to realize that somebody likes them. Once they know, they tend to focus and to start thinking about the possibilities. If all the necessary ingredients are there (chemistry, etc.) then the relationship is likely to move forward.

However, a skill that is very important to develop with all this flirting is to be able to quickly realize whether the subject of your flirting is interested in you or not. If not, just move on.

So, go drop some hints to that special person you like ... You never know how clueless they are : )

What is one of the most important traits of a leader?

To lead by example.

In addition to being intelligent, driven, courageous, competent and so many other important personal traits, leading by example is at the top of the list for me.

Leading by example has an incredibly disarming effect when faced with a tough situation, a challenging task, or simply fear or doubt. Showing the way when things get tough and letting others see that you are willing to do anything you ask of them is the true test of a leader.

And once you get things moving? Then you need to Inspire - where are you taking everybody?

Why do we take so many medications now?

Marketing and the media.

Have you noticed how many pharmaceutical ads there are in magazines, billboards, radio and TV? They are everywhere. As a category, it certainly seems the most prevalent. If you were to really pay attention to all of this, you would think the human race is going down the drain fast. That all of us are sick somehow. That there is something out there to help us and that we should never put up with any sort of discomfort whatsoever.

Overtime, we have developed the notion that we need to attack anything that our body or mind is trying to tell us naturally with some sort of immediate remedy. We are not supposed to feel anything out of the ordinary - no pain, no anxiety, no fever, no diarrhea, etc. Have we forgotten that our body, with proper care and maintenance, is built to last a long time with no medicines at all? What about the notion that our body is able to tell us what is wrong with it and in many instances repair itself.

Our bodies do need help sometimes. For this, we need to step back, take control and learn to discern when medicine is a good thing. Who does not love a nice antibiotic when needed? The closest thing to a miracle drug in my book. You take it, you fix the problem, and you are done.

Where did we learn that we are supposed to take pain killers for every little pain, or stuff to sleep better, or to not be sad, or for diarrhea, or when we are hyper, or, my favorite, because we have a leg that loves to dance under the table?

So, how about listening to your body a bit more, altering your behavior as your body indicates, and giving it a chance to heal itself?

Can you tell what a person is like by just looking at them?

I think so.

One of the most intriguing observations I have heard goes something like this: "... the jaw-line of a person reveals inheritance, the lips tell you what life has done to somebody, and the eyes reveal the emotions of the moment ...".

And, the more you observe a person the more you can match their physical characteristics, movements, and reactions to the patterns and experiences that you have developed and accumulated over your lifetime of interactions with people. This somewhat subconscious ability is what we call intuition, gut feel, ... or simply, je ne sais qua.

So, observe a little and see what you think.

How do you best overcome shyness?

Stop thinking about yourself so much.

Being shy or embarrassed is really about thinking too much about ourselves. It is paralyzing when all we do is think about what everybody around us is thinking of us instead of just doing things (e.g., how we dress, how we eat, our voice, our looks, our accent, the way we walk, the way we run, the way we laugh, etc.).

It is very liberating when you realize that most people are more worried about themselves than about you or what you do.

What about when you have to give a speech in front of a group of people. Relax, remember the audience is not there to pick on you or to criticize how you dress or how you speak. They are there to listen to what you have to say. Thinking about a time when you felt confident and relaxed may also help get your mind off of yourself.

What about when you want to meet that special person that you really like. Focus on them and not on you, be interested in them and what they do. Forget about how they are perceiving you ... they are probably more worried about how YOU are perceiving them anyway.

The point is to try to redirect the energy you spend worrying about yourself and focus it on the other person, the situation, the goal, the activity, etc. Trying to figure out how others are perceiving you is a futile exercise ... and it generates stress for something that you are making up in your head.

What about when things really go wrong? The easiest is to just make fun of yourself and of the situation instead of panicking. More importantly, don't dwell on it. People around you will forget about the whole thing way faster than you think. Remember, they have better things to worry about ... like themselves.

So now, go wild and have fun : )