xesharperthanwhenhehadgonein.
Iwasyoungandambitiousandkeentomakemymarkontheworld.
GENERATIVEPOWER
In1988,whenIwastwenty-sevenyearsold,ImovedfromSanFranciscotoLondontotakeajobintheglobalstrategydepartmentoftheenergycompanyRoyalDutchShell.WhatIlovedmostaboutworkingforShellwasthepower.Ienjoyedgettingthediplomaticmemos:"ThegovernmentofCôted'IvoirehasreiteratedtheirrequestthatwedesistfromreferringtothemastheIvoryCoast."Ioncegotamistakenphonecallaskingmewherea$300millionpaymentforafueloildeliveryshouldbedeposited.IlikedShell'spracticalroleinprovidingtheworldwithenergy:thecompanyinvestedhundredsofmillionsofdollarsayearinresearchanddevelopment,drilledforoilthousandsoffeetunderwater,andproducedfuelsbyheatingoilsandsandcoolingnaturalgas.Ireveledinbeingasmallcoginthisbigandimportantmachine.
IwasatShellattheheightofcapitalistconfidence.TheBerlinWallhadjustfallen,theInternetboomwasstarting,FrancisFukuyamahadpublished"TheEndofHistory,"TomWolfewaswritingaboutManhattanfinan