A while back I presented some 'radical ideas' in my book Slingshot, for re-imagining higher education as well as the state of the elderly and the homeless in our society. Following this path, I now turn to re-imagining the sport of American Football, whose ongoing viability is under siege.

On its way to becoming the world’s most valuable, most admired, and most lifestyle driving company, Apple has continuously taken advantage of what I call the ‘Innovation Shortcut’. This shortcut - which is based on creating new value by combining existing components rather than inventing something outright – is also available to anyone for the taking.

Through our Future Shapers series, we interview business visionaries and entertainment trailblazers who are shaping the future of our society. We ask them playful questions to generate insights on their personal approach to re-imagining boundaries.

A core principle of my Slingshot Framework is the need to forge and to continuously refresh a strong emotional connection with target customers. I call this quest ‘customer infatuation’. A recent study by IBMix has produced revealing evidence of why companies need to embrace such a perspective.

Having been born in Budapest, I have a special affinity for the origin of the word ‘coach’, as it stems from Hungary, many centuries ago. But beyond this personal connection, there are a couple of reasons why this historical tale is worthy of bringing to your attention.