In writing this week about Barack Obama we’re not trying to capitalize on his popularity (although we love Ben and Jerry’s new ice-cream flavor “Yes PeCan”).

But the new President of the United States undeniably seems to know something about greatness.

Somehow he has earned the loyalty of a lot of people. During his campaign 10,000 young people crowded into a Washington, D.C., rally and gladly tossed $15 into a pot to sign up as volunteers. Greeters with laptops took their e-mail addresses. This scene was repeated hundreds of times across the U.S.

After the election Obama’s change.gov Web site was wildly popular, streaming video of actual transition meetings, asking visitors for their opinions, and encouraging them to sign up for service projects. Millions visited and got involved.

Clearly, something new is going on here.

It might have to do with the power of synergy.

Obama fits no mold. His background is a model of diversity—his mother was from Kansas, his father from Kenya. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia. He has brothers, sisters, and cousins of many races living on all continents. Obama is the product of a remarkable cross-cultural synergy.

He is not about stale arguments, old wars, and worn-out biases. He appears to transcend all that.

Of course, time will tell. It always does.

But you can sense that we might be entering an era of the “Third Alternative,” what Dr. Stephen R. Covey has always called the greatest human achievement. The Third Alternative bypasses “my way” or “your way” in solving problems—it’s all about our way, a new way, a better way no one ever thought of before.

We suddenly face a drastically changed world with challenges no one has ever seen, so it’s going to need solutions no one has ever seen. President Obama has asked the world to send him great ideas for solving the problems we face together.

Why not take a minute and send us your great ideas—your “Third Alternatives”? Let’s all join the conversation!