Yesterday, I introduced Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. I’m grateful to Daniel for agreeing to share his thoughts on leadership at this time of global recession. And I’m curious – what are your thoughts in response to my questions below? And how do you respond to Daniel’s thoughts? if you feel inspired to respond please post your comments on this blog. Meantime, I send my heartfelt thanks to Daniel for sharing his thoughts across the pond.

Here are the questions I put to Daniel, together with his answers:

Dorothy: Many commentators view the current economic situation with gloom and despondency. How do you view it?

Daniel: Well, what’s happening now in the financial world is scary — especially here in the U.S. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. But just as we had “irrational exuberance” on the way up, we seem to be having “irrational panic” on the way down. Things are not quite as bad as they seem on the surface. Living standards around the world are increasing. We’ve got a mess to clean up, but we can’t let dire straits today mask the broad trend — which is toward greater prosperity, albeit not in a smooth line.

Dorothy: In the words of Ecclesiastes, “to everything there is a season”. What is it time for at this time of economic downturn?

Daniel: It’s probably a time to get back to first principles. It’s tough to get rich quick without cutting corners. Economies are about giving people goods, services, and experiences that make their lives better. Pretty simple, but easily forgotten.

Dorothy: And what do you see as the role of our political, corporate and other leaders at this time?

Daniel: Here in the States, it’s clear that political leaders will be more involved in the economy. We tend to relish the idea of small government, but the fact of the matter is that big government will make a comeback here. And our leaders — both political and corporate — will be navigating a new terrain.