That was the question I was recently asked by my friend Vivienne Neale. I wasn’t sure how to reply. After all, we all have our “thought leaders” whom we follow. Me, I always wanted to be part of a community where doing meaningful things made belonging matter. Honestly, I don’t consider myself a thought leader. I simply shared my ideas and work because I felt alone in my mission to change the future of business. I’ve always believed I couldn’t do…
Leading Digital Transformation
Last year, I had the opportunity to speak in Stockholm at Telia’s executive summit on Digital Transformation. After my session, I met with Joakim Jansson to discuss the state and evolution of the digital business landscape. At the time, he was working on a new book, Att Leda Digital Transformation, with Marie Andervin. That book is now available (in Swedish) and our discussion is included. I asked if it would be OK if our discussion was translated and published here to share…
How to Make Lifelong Learning an Organizational Priority
Guest post by Mark Burgess (@mnburgess) co-author of “Social Employees: The New Marketing Channel,” a 22-part video tutorial released by Lynda.com, a LinkedIn company. What is the value of lifelong learning, and how do you build it within your organization? Today, the value of building a culture of active learners can be summed up in one word: relevancy. In a recent post for Harvard Business Review, Pat Wadors, CHRO of LinkedIn, argues precisely this. Simply put, organizations that are not…
Do employees hold the keys to Customer Experience?
Guest post by Gib Bassett (@gibbassett), gib.bassett@oracle.com “Companies will invest in digital customer experiences to improve experiences for all customers and employees.” – Brian Solis I’m a huge proponent of the power of digital transformation to help brick and mortar retailers adapt to a world where Amazon dominates e-commerce and is beginning to make inroads into physical retail. The technologies of digital engagement and Big Data Analytics bring much needed parity to traditional retailers’ efforts to create and deliver a…
In 2016, Resolve to ‘Disrupt Yourself’
Guest post by Whitney Johnson (@johnsonwhitney), author of Disrupt Yourself Oft-spoken though it is, ‘disruption’ is not a catchword; it’s a powerful force transforming organizations, communities, and ultimately the world. But it starts small, as an individual choice to change. Companies and organizations don’t disrupt unless their people do. Individual disruptors upend their companies in ways not always welcomed by their associates. Disruptors can be seen as a fifth column, undermining the familiar and comfortable status quo, not to mention their colleagues’…
Digital Transformation and the Questions I Never Hear
Following my presentation at LeWeb about the nuances between iteration, innovation and disruption (and the impact of each), I was invited to the business pavilion to share my views on digital transformation. The host for the conversation was my dear friend Benjamin Costantini. Before we could get settled, Ben brought a bottle of champagne on stage, two glasses, we toasted and the discussion started…on the right foot, or taste, I should say. I know he knows my passion for champagne. But perhaps…
Speaking Topics for 2016: Business (R)evolution, Culture 2.0, Innovation, Experience, Digital, WTF
I’ve been speaking professionally for just over 10 years and I’ve learned many things along the way. One lesson though stands at the top, which is no matter how much I think I know, I must always keep learning. Like everyone and everything, I must compete for relevance now and in the future by re-thinking and re-imagining my purpose and the value I hope offer others. So, once a year, I take time to reflect on what’s important and also…
Help! My Boss Is a Millennial (and I’m not)
Guest post by Liza Bennigson (#StartupMom), a non-millennial’s take on the millennial mindset I’m not your typical start-up employee. I’m 37 with two young kids, and I still have an iPhone 5. My idea of a wild night is staying up till 11pm to watch The Voice. My boss, the CEO and co-founder of our start-up, is 26. Constantly on the go, Jayne Ronayne can talk, type, text, walk and drink coffee at the same time. She is at some networking event or…
The Hero’s Journey to Digital Transformation
I spent some time with Bernhard Steimel to help him with research for his “Smart Service” series. He sent over the audio files from our conversation for review. He organized them into snackable formats to make it easier for me to follow the conversation. It was so well done that he’s allowing me to share the discussion with you. Each audio segment ranges between two and four minutes. I hope these brief segments help you in some way… 1. The…
Like Every Business, We Too Stand on the Path of Disruption
Guest post by Jay Samit (@jaysamit), a serial entrepreneur and author of the bestselling book Disrupt You! Your career is going to be disrupted. I guarantee it. Office automation is expected to make 40% of the current workforce obsolete by 2020. 3D printing is anticipated to eliminate 320 manufacturing jobs; further impacting the millions of truck drivers replaced by autonomous vehicles. We are now living in an era of endless innovation where technology continues accelerating exponentially while businesses struggle to…
