The following is an updated version of a post that was originally published in 2016. It is so easy to miss! When the future was lobbing softballs at you, you could hit the trends every time. But now the future has upped its game. It’s throwing fastballs and curveballs. Who would’ve predicted five years ago […]
How to Spot the Future Before it Arrives Read More »
Click here to listen to an AI recording of this post. I just returned from an exciting trip to Qingdao, China. In addition to eating brains and snails, I saw something that blew my mind when I visited a Haier washing machine factory. To the common observer, the process to create the appliances simply looks
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“Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” – Steve Jobs This audio was recorded by an AI program. I just got back from China for a special research visit to Haier, the leading appliances manufacturer, and I had the realization that
Is Your Company Really Customer-Centric? Read More »
The following post was originally published in 2015. Here is the fundamental issue: innovation seems too risky. Your company says they want it. They hold innovation events, call “innovation” a top priority, and build internal innovation teams. But no one, even the most admired innovators, is confident their efforts are paying off. Perhaps we fundamentally
The 5 X 5 X 5 Experiment Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. In the 1980s, business strategy was dominated by competition. Michael Porter introduced the concept of competitive advantage. Strategists and business leaders became obsessed with differentiating their business from the competition by taking market share and becoming, as General Electric famously was, number one or number two in
The Evolution of Strategy: From Competition to Customers to Employees Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. I was at the Jersey Shore a couple of weeks ago, spending time with my family and enjoying slow, relaxed mornings. I would wake up at 8am and sip my cup of coffee while sitting on our balcony overlooking the water and the dunes. It was a
If Entrepreneurship Were a Sport Read More »
Click here to listen to an AI recording of this post. For strategy and innovation leaders, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Our annual Outthinker summer reading list aims to bring you the most impactful and thought-provoking books that are shaping our field. Throughout the year, we’ve curated this list from member recommendations, the
Outthinker Networks’ 2024 Strategy & Innovation Summer Reading List Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. On June 12, 20 chief strategy officers (CSOs) and innovation executives convened for a roundtable in New York City. The event, hosted by Heidrick & Struggles in the iconic One Vanderbilt building, brought together peers leading strategy and innovation across organizations and industries. One Vanderbilt, a sleek
This audio was recorded by an AI program. Last week, I traveled to Chicago to deliver a keynote speech on strategy and innovation to an inspiring group of leading executives and suppliers in packaging at the AmericaPack Summit. In preparing for the speech, it became clearer to me that packaging is going to be an
Rethinking Resource-Based Strategies Read More »
This audio was recorded by an AI program. Which U.S. state or territory was the first to allow women to vote? If you answered “Wyoming,” you’re correct. On December 10, 1869, Wyoming passed the first women’s suffrage law, granting women voting rights in hopes of attracting more female settlers to the rugged West. When Wyoming
A Lesson in Innovation from the Equality State Read More »
