This past year I traveled 300,000 miles globally. The experience helped me connect dots that have serious consequences for business strategy and succession planning. It also reinforced a central theme that is emerging for all of us on boards: Can we learn as fast as the world is changing? 

As directors, we are always in a position to influence the strategy of the corporate entity we serve. Change comes in multiple forms. The social unrest witnessed in the U.K. this past summer and the Occupy Wall Street movement reflects the environment in which capitalism operates. Technology-driven changes, I believe, will create increasing importance on the director's new role as stewards of capitalism.

We understand that this speed of change implies greater volatility and more uncertainty. Linking our two primary responsibilities of strategy and succession planning, it raises the imperative of identifying creativity for key leadership positions. Creativity encourages an openness to understanding the importance of consumer needs and the products and services designed to meet them. It additionally includes the skill set of being able to manage and align people behind changing visions and missions over both the short and long term.