Journalist Nina Rahkola typed into ChatGPT: “Who would be the ideal candidates to envision a new direction for Finland?”
Nina was planning an event called Talk Helsinki, and the list ChatGPT came back with had the usual suspects—current and former prime ministers, business leaders, and philosophers. But then one name stood out: mine.
We laughed. It was an AI hallucination, of course. But after the laughter faded, something lingered. What if I did write a vision for Finland? Why not?
I spent time at our summer house, and the idea began to grow roots. At first, I imagined needing to partner with experts from business, academia, and all walks of life to ensure every aspect of Finland’s future was covered. It started to feel like the beginning of another big project—a book or white paper, the kind of thing that could take months, even years. I didn’t have time for that, and honestly, it wasn’t what I wanted to do next.
The thought crossed my mind that this would become one of those fantasy projects. You know the ones—you get a grand idea, but it grows too big to even begin. But something shifted. I realized this didn't have to be perfect—it just had to be done. A manageable, clear, and heartfelt vision.
My strengths were already guiding me. I had just published a book, Your Business Strategy for the Intangible Future, and when it comes to communicating, I naturally lean on diagrams and visual tools to get my ideas across. So I decided to embrace that. Why overcomplicate things?
The reason I’m putting this out there isn’t just for the love of Finland or for the sake of saying something. It’s because I believe we’re suffering from a vision void. Politicians, business leaders—many of them seem lost, unsure of the future or hesitant to voice the blurry dreams they might have. Or maybe we’ve become so cynical, we don’t allow them to. The noise drowns out hope, and it’s easier to keep quiet than to be vulnerable about one’s ideals.
But what if we could flip that? What if more of us—regular citizens, creatives, professionals, dreamers—started sharing our ideas for Finland’s future? What if we weren’t afraid to be a little embarrassing, to talk about fuzzy dreams and seemingly impractical goals?
So here’s my invitation: Join me in this conversation. Share your vision, no matter how rough or unfinished. Let's start filling this vision void together.
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