Last week, I was invited to appear as a guest on a video program for C/Net. During the interview, the host asked me to name my business hero. The question surprised me. I have heroes about whom I have much to say, but I don't consider them "business heroes". I mean, when one thinks of Thomas Jefferson, Tom Paine, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, or Andy Warhol, the word "businessman" isn't the first thing that springs to mind.

What the heck is a "business hero", anyway? An egotistical self promoter, like Donald Trump? A fraud, like Ken Lay of Enron? That's not to say that I consider everyone in business somehow fake or deficient: I admire a number of superb executives who achieve a great deal for their companies, but I wouldn't characterize them as heroes. Star performers, yes. Mentors, sure. But a hero?

A hero is larger than life. Someone who slays a dragon and who changes the world. A person who risks it all to bring back a huge boon to his people. A leader in times of trouble and disorder who blazes a new trail.

To be a hero, you have to put everything at risk in order to attain something of much greater value.

As it happens, I do have two business heroes. Sir Richard Branson, especially because of his mantra "Screw it, let's do it" which pretty much summarizes my philosophy about business. And Ray Kurzweil, the artificial intelligence expert who has founded several high technology companies.

Branson charges fearlessly into new ventures, ranging from music to airlines to cola and mobile phones service and even weddings. He decided to run the National Lottery in the UK because he felt he could do a better job than the incumbent. And Branson puts it all on the line every time: he continues to attempt outrageous stunts like hot air ballooning not as a self promotion gimmick but as a way to explore what he's truly capable of. Branson is on the verge of re-inventing space travel with Virgin Galactic, opening up the heavens to private travelers.

Ray Kurzweil has written fearlessly about the topic of technological change. He is a determined and practical optimist. An optimistic realist, perhaps. Kurtzweil dispenses with the usual drama of technophobic doomsday scenarios and instead paints a convincing picture of a world in transformation. I believe we are living in that world, and we are experiencing the intense rapid change that Kurzweil describes. He strikes me as one author and business leader who is not afraid to present the future as he sees it, and he stakes his professional reputation and his businesses on the line with his somewhat shocking analysis. His book "The Singularity is Near" is probably the best introduction to the three trends that will shape the next 100 years of human existence.

I am interested in hearing from other people. Who is your hero? Business or otherwise!

RT