I took some time and watched Jetsons: The Movie the other day. The movie was made in 1990, over 30 years ago. I had always been a fan as I loved watching it as a child. I imagined that their depiction was what the world would be like sometime in the future.

To a certain extent, it has. Like the Jetsons, we now have face-to-face telephone calls (via Zoom and Webex). We have the technology for flying cars, are preparing for commercial space travel, and are looking to inhabit Mars. In addition, many individuals, companies and organizations use robots for everything from house cleaning, manufacturing, and as toy pets.

However, one of the most wonderful and fascinating things about watching this movie now as an adult and seasoned businesswoman, strategic growth advisor, and executive and board resume and bio consultant, is that I saw it through new eyes. I now saw some great things that can make what my clients and today's CEOs, business leaders, and board members have to deal with handled effortlessly. From diversifying boards and senior management, handing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, pivoting (for many due to Covid), or any other business or industry shifts due to uncertainty or changing times.

Here are some of the parallels and solutions that I believe would benefit the business world today and provide a great snapshot of what we can be:

• The Board had a female member: In the movie, the CEO, Mr. Spacely, is presenting to the board of Spacely Sprockets, his company. While not a focal point of the movie, it was wonderful and refreshing to see that even 30 years ago when the movie was made, the idea that the board of a major company had a female member and that it was not a big deal, is in fact, a big deal.

• Diversity: Diversity of not only the company, but the entire universe was an underlying theme throughout the movie. George Jetson worked with a manager who was a robot, and had neighbors and friends from all different species, colors, shapes, and sizes. It was not an issue. I believe many in the world today are looking forward to this becoming a nonissue as well.

• Environmental, social and governance (ESG): Spacely Sprockets built a production plant on an asteroid that was destroying the habitat of a local population and unknown species. Mr. Spacely later admitted that he knew there were inhabitants, but did not take the situation seriously. He believed it was a profitable decision for his company. However, there were production issues, and then losses arose due to his ESG shortcuts. Just like in today's world, ESG issues end up costing companies money sooner or later.

• Confronting and discovering the root cause of issues, being forced to pivot, and thinking outside of the box in times of change: Spacely Sprocket's plant kept having production issues. Every time an issue arose, Mr. Spacely blamed the Vice President in charge of the plant. He went through four Vice Presidents before he hired George Jetson. It turned out that the root cause of the problem was that the inhabitants of the asteroid were dismantling wires and sabotaging the plant at night to protect their habitat. George Jetson was the only one who decided he would get to the root cause of the problem.

Once the real problem was revealed, the CEO first tried to fight against it. However, he was pressured and finally gave in to a solution provided by George that ended up increasing production and doubling his profits. The solution was allowing the inhabitants of the asteroid to run the plant and then sell the sprockets to Spacely Sprockets. This was instead of Spacely Sprockets both manufacturing, owning and running the plant. The species not only doubled production, but figured out a way to recycle old sprockets. This not only lowered costs, but solved the problem of the plant mining materials in their habitat. The species became employed, saved their home, and created an even better financial picture for the Company.

It was truly a win, win for everyone. If we open our minds and hearts, it can be like that for all of us, both in business and in life as well.

• Work Life Balance: Before Covid, some of you were paying people to help you figure out how to have work life balance. While leading companies and organizations, you may have been feeling guilty about the fact that you did not spend a lot of time with your children or significant others. And, quite frankly, did not really know them. While not many CEOs and business leaders would say so publicly, a large number have benefited from a personal perspective due to the pandemic.

In the movie, George's son Elroy is sad. George promised to go to his spaceball game and missed it because of work, along with Elroy making the winning shot. In the end, the situation righted itself when George realized that with the species taking over the plant, there was no longer any need for him to run it. George was able to go back to a position that would give him time for both work and his family. That will not be the case for everyone. However, this time will be treasured by many, because of the opportunity to do things with people in your life that you would not ordinarily have had time to do.

And even for others, where things on a relationship level did not work out, this time was still needed to know that occasionally you have to be freed from the old to make way for the new, and do what is truly right for you.

Sometimes to find answers to today's problems, we have to go back to the things we enjoyed and valued in our childhood. This movie projected that we would all live like the Jetsons in the 21st century. Maybe we will. While the time for change is now, we still technically still have about 80 more years to go.