10 Reasons Why America Truly Is Exceptional
10. America is exceptional in its culture
The U.S. continues to be a magnet for the best and the brightest from around the world. It was once said that if Steve Jobs was born in China, he would never have created iPhone; if Sergey Brin’s family did not move from the Soviet Union to America, he would never have invented Google. Why is it so?
The answer to this question revolves around the theme of America’s exceptional culture. At the level of individual firms, a culture of innovation consists of three important traits: embracing risk, a willingness to cannibalize successful entities, and a focus on the future. These traits in turn are fostered by three practices: incentives for enterprise, empowerment of innovation champions, and internal competition. At the national level, one can add one more trait to this list: openness to new ideas and people. Consider how the U.S. excels in these traits and practices.
The embrace of risk comes from a culture that is unafraid of failure and learns from it. The U.S. has one of the most liberal environments for failing entrepreneurs: they can declare bankruptcy and start again. In Germany or Japan, it’s almost impossible for a bankrupt person to start a new business. In many countries, failure is a shame. In the U.S., failure is forgiven. Just like in the past centuries, America today remains the Land of Opportunities and of second chances.
