During a two decade management consulting career, he came to the belief that human society teeters on the cusp of a tectonic shift; a shift that will see the collapse of hierarchical rulership. People he believes are awakening from centuries of passive submission to authority. Kings claimed their legitimacy from God. Modern institutions derive their legitimacy from the trust of the governed. At this juncture in history trust in the institutional fabric of society is eroding away; a process that begins very slowly and then at some point, quickens. In corporate land, the old order is represented by top-down management systems of command and control. Top-down imposes a straight-jacket upon the human spirit that yearns for self-expression in an awakening world. 'Self-directed autonomous control' will become the new paradigm. In his new book "Bottom-Up beats Top-Down" he describes the practical application of the principle to performance management & remuneration systems; to financial accountability; to business growth and the devolution of authority. Bottom-Up is a system synchronous with nature and the human spirit, which flowers in conditions of freedom. The payoff manifests in leveraged financial performance: profitability, productivity and return on investment. While the entrenched business old guard will resist, change will be driven from below and it will be unstoppable. As per Sun Tzu ("The Art of War"), it will "arrive to surprise". These days Stuart Mears resides in a maritime village in Southern Tasmania, from which point he regularly forays to wild places in his antique wooden sail-boat.
