I believe the greatest force for change is a job.
So did Tarek al-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor who, on December 17, 2010, set himself on fire in despair over his inability to earn a living. His tragic act sparked the Arab Spring, igniting protests that toppled governments across the Middle East. His message was clear: the right to work with dignity isn’t a luxury — it’s foundational.
Jim Clifton, Chairman of Gallup, captured this truth in his book The Coming Jobs War. For most of human history, people longed for love, food, shelter, safety, peace, and freedom above all else. Today, Gallup’s research shows that what people want most, more than anything else is a good job. And they want it just as much for their children.
Let’s put it in perspective:
- 8 billion people are of working age.
- 5 billion say their top desire is a good job.
- Yet there are only about 2 billion formal jobs available worldwide.
That gap is more than numbers, it’s instability, unrest, and despair waiting to happen. Jobs are not just about income; they are about dignity, belonging, and hope.
This is why leaders across every sector must put job creation at the center of the agenda. Not as a talking point or campaign promise, but as a guiding principle. Governments do not create jobs, business does. But governments do create the environment in which businesses can thrive: infrastructure, education, transparency, fair regulation, and the conditions that allow entrepreneurs and employers to grow.
History reminds us this isn’t a new idea. In 190 BC, the Roman Senate declared Delos a tax-free port to drive trade, jobs, and prosperity. That decision is considered one of the earliest intentional economic development strategies. The lesson is the same today: thriving societies align every effort around jobs.
I call this alignment Community Capitalism — when business, philanthropy, and government work together under a unified vision. Together, they can create ecosystems that foster talent development, entrepreneurial growth, and long-term prosperity.
The evidence is everywhere. From place-based scholarships like the Kalamazoo Promise, which reshaped a city by investing in education, to creative financing models like Hal Taussig’s Untours Foundation, which has made hundreds of small business loans and equity investments worldwide, we see what’s possible when resources align with vision.
A job doesn’t just pay the bills. It erases the past, establishes the future, and provides the foundation for families, neighborhoods, and nations to flourish. According to Gallup, 3 billion people agree with me.
As Clifton wrote: “The jobs war is an all-out global war for good jobs. If countries fail at creating jobs, their societies will fall apart.”
The greatest force for change is a job. That truth is as urgent as it has ever been and it’s the challenge every leader must be willing to face.
Always Forward.
