Keysight is a global company with extensive focus in Asia. So, it is fitting to summon the tiger as we move forward in 2022. According to one interpretation of this lunar new year, "Tigers do things their own way and hate being told what to do. Expect things to rapidly change this year...Some of us will thrive through taking great leaps, while others might crash and burn. So, while it's important to follow our intuition and run with our wildest dreams, that means we also have to keep our egos in check."

My takeaway for this Year of the Tiger is a blend of boldness and balance. At Keysight, we encourage both traits as we live out the values embedded in our Keysight Leadership Model (KLM) and strive for first-to-market solutions that enable our customers' success in bringing disruptive technologies to market. We really do take seriously how we get our work done along with the innovative solutions that we deliver.

So, what does it take to be bold and balanced in business? I like this approach which is centered around values and intentionality. It's all about making bold moves to create meaningful impact for society at large. When you are driven by a purposeful vision, then you align your choices with the meaning you are seeking to create. So, what others might consider a bold move is really your next best step, regardless of the risks involved.

Making a bold move, though, does take guts. And it's not all about the will to do it. It also requires intense focus, strategy, and preparation. As Brené Brown says in her "Dare to Lead" podcast, "Courage in the Midst of Change," with Dr. Maya Shankar, "there has to be a passion and love for what we're doing, there has to be the work, the competency, the mastery, and there has to be some really courageous, 'anyone seeing what I'm doing right now would think I'm nuts' moments..." As Dr. Shankar describes it, sometimes, your next best step might be sideways once you reimagine the future based on a new context. Yet, being boldly intentional is how you gain balance throughout.

Recently, Keysight boldly stepped out with a new Radar Scene Emulator (RSE) that enables automakers to test autonomous driving algorithms more fully, faster, and in a real-world setting. This was a significant leap forward for ADAS/Automonous driving developers, and an assist toward a more sustainable future as University of Michigan and University of California, Berkeley studies have posited. Connected and automated vehicles can contriubute to reduced energy usage in the transportation sector as developers intentionally design and test for those performance factors.

The team responsible for this innovation boldly set for themselves a >10x improvement in the number of objects a system could emulate to test real-world driving scenarios. They tested unproven technolgoes and approaches relentlessly to arrive at their vision. More than 23 patented innovations later, they are helping bridge the gap to advance autonomous driving technology to Levels 4 and 5—full autonomy.

But let me be clear, I'm not just talking about this one new product Keysight brought to market, although it is amazing. I'm describing the boldness it takes to advance something new in our world at large. Like the marvel that the 2021 Edison Best New Product Gold Award Winner in Aerospace produced--Ampaire Hybrid Electric airplanes. Watching the videos on their site brings a smile to my face. Their Electric EEL airplane, and others they are producing reduce global emissions and operating costs and will allow us to advance to a cleaner economy and planet.

Advancing something new takes courage and boldness, especially when you do not know what outcomes to expect, and the path is not always clear because you are actually paving it as you walk it. With RSE, Keysight did something very new, something we have never done before from the uniqueness of the product itself to the manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. We also did that with 5G several years ago and are embarking on paving the way for 6G technologies now—with the imperative to do so sustainably.

This next generation of wireless technology is expected to bring even faster speeds, lower latency, and more bandwidth to instantly deliver massive amounts of data to and from more devices across decentralized, intelligent networks. 6G will accelerate the digitalization of economies and society, moving the world significantly closer to becoming a truly global and digital community. According to Keysight CEO Ron Nersesian, it’s not too early to prepare. In order to deliver on the promise of 6G, businesses, governments, and innovators must break through several business, policy, and technological barriers to fully pave the way. Boldness with vision and balance.

As interpreted here, “2022 is the year of the tiger, which represents strength, courage and bravery.” Let’s boldly pursue our passions and goals this year one balanced step at a time! If you are a tiger sign, you basically know how to go big or go home. Pacing those bold moves allows good things to come our way. I wish you boldness and balance this year.

Happy Lunar New Year!