How would you like to turn crisis into opportunity, re-imagine the boundaries of your business, and shape the future of your market space?

It just so happens, these are 3 wishes I can help you realize. More precisely, they are the topics you will learn to master in my upcoming online course, offered in collaboration with McGill University.  Consider it your genie in a bottle. 

Here are the details:

The current pandemic has shined the spotlight on the importance of lifelong learning – which enables us to continuously refresh and expand our knowledge and master new environments. A recent BBC article added valuable insights on the topic. Here is my favorite excerpt:

"Abundant research has shown that intellectual humility – the capacity to recognize the limits of our knowledge – can powerfully improve our thinking and decision making. And that capacity to reconsider our preconceptions and open our minds to new ways of thinking is increasingly important in today’s rapidly changing world. Whether we are learning for pleasure or attempting to boost our professional skills, we could all do well to cultivate that “beginners’ mindset”, where nothing is certain, and there is everything to learn."

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210222-how-a-beginners-mindset-can-help-you-learn-anything

#education #mindset #learning #success #lessons #growthmindset #leadership #personaldevelopment #mindfulness #coaching

They were called the “American Beatles” by the Japanese media. Their live album at Budokan became an all-time classic, and they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. The band is none other than Cheap Trick.

But why bring them up now? I am glad you asked. Last week I shared stage at ciLive! https://dmacc.edu/ciweek/Pages/presenters.aspx with The Nielsen Trust - a band comprised of Cheap Trick’s lead guitarist Rick Nielsen and his sons. Alongside new music they did great renditions of originals, and Rick was just as playful and engaging a performer as ever. In fact, in the middle of a song he suddenly took off his guitar and hand it to me - as evidenced by this photo.

It was uplifting to see Rick going strong and keeping it fresh, Cheap Trick is about to release a new album and start touring (Covid permitting). It also occurred to me that their rock anthem is a perfect slogan for my work with leadership teams, guiding them to create irresistible customer experiences for the post-pandemic world: I Want You to Want Me.

#music #leadership #customerexperience #smartstrategy #businesstransformation #innovation

As Albert Einstein observed "Play is the Highest Form of Research". It is also the gateway to creative exploration and innovation, which is why more and more organizations nurture it in their culture.

I was pleased to see this connection featured on the front page of Vogue China. How do you incorporate play in your work?

#innovation #leadership #strategy #mindset #transformation #growth #China #voguemagazine

Unless you are a hardcore chocolate aficionado, you most likely missed out on the celebration. Yesterday was World Nutella Day, with much rejoicing among Nutella's global community (over 31 million Facebook followers). But even if you are not a fan, this event is significant and noteworthy. So why should you care?

The answer has to do with the origins of Nutella. It was developed in Europe in the wake of WWII, during a time of profound upheaval and scarcity. Cocoa, the major ingredient in chocolate, was expensive and hard to find. Thinking creatively, Pietro Ferrero, an Italian confectioner, substituted hazelnut - a much more abundant and cheaper ingredient - into the formula. The result is the magical, creamy spread that is still one of the favorite sweets and breakfast essentials around the world today.

There you have it. From now on, take part in the February 5th celebrations, letting World Nutella Day be your annual reminder to see crisis as opportunity.

#innovation #futureshaper #creativity #leadership #crisismanagement #nutella #transformation