A thought-provoking exploration of our world’s economic past, present, and future.

In a journey over centuries only recently marked by prosperity, Lead, Follow, or Fail captures the socio-economic forces that have shaped our world.

Dividing economic history into three eras—Pre-Industrial, Industrial, and Post-Industrial—Peter Brews chronicles the evolution of productivity and how nations, organizations, and individuals fall into the roles of Failures, Followers, or Leaders. Failures in the Pre-Industrial Era are plagued by scarcity, Followers are on their way to abundance through industrialization, and Leaders maintain Post-Industrial competitiveness through unrelenting innovation at the leading edge of global commerce.

Understanding the transition across these eras and how Leading, Following, and Failing differ also offers insights into what our economic future will hold. After considering the implications of a world more economically diverse than ever before, three future scenarios—Balanced Global Growth, Unbalanced Global Growth, and Global Meltdown—conclude the book.

Armed with the knowledge of what it takes to build and sustain competitiveness whether Leader, Follower, or Failure, readers also learn what we all must do so Balanced Global Growth prevails, and the 21st century is a triumph for us all.