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Christine Gritmon Inc. Christine Gritmon Inc.

Malcolm Gladwell on strengthening our weakest links

Journalist Malcolm Gladwell spoke about "weak link" vs. "strong link" mentality at Synergy Global Forum.

I had an interesting discussion a few months ago with a business acquaintance at the opposite side of the political spectrum from myself regarding our nation's current polarity. Our mutual premise rested on the idea that it boils down to disagreement as who counts as our "neighbor," our "community." Is it all of humankind? Just our countrymen? Our immediate geographic area? People like us? Who do we take care of - and at whose expense?

While Gladwell did not betray any particular political bias, that conversation was brought strongly to mind, as his presentation revolved around how one strengthens a team, a business, a society - by strengthening its weakest members, or its strongest - and how the answer to that question varies by circumstance.

Gladwell gave numerous examples of both weak-link and strong-link systems - in sports, business, in government - and made it clear that he was not placing one inherently above the other. But, one cannot deny the interconnectivity of the digital age, and how that changes the game.

The danger, Gladwell warns, is when people who come from traditionally strong-link situations are put in charge of weak-link organizations. They don't understand the problem; they've got all these strong people at the top, so what could go wrong? This has potentially catastrophic ramifications in a society as democratized by technology as ours has rapidly become. Gladwell does not have faith that our current societal structures - and leaders, though he did not call any out - are presently up to that task. I'd have to agree.

While my phone froze shortly into Gladwell's presentation, I filled in my Tweets later with several of his points that I recalled - his presentation has stuck with me more than any other, as I have been turning his points around in my head, and viewing everything through this new prism, ever since. (Synergy Global Forum, by the way, was a weak-link event operating as a strong-link event; they had a mind-blowingly incredible lineup of speakers, but, as those following me on Twitter are aware, lacked niceties like accessible event staff, printed programs, fast and easy check-in, refreshments [literally no drinking water, unless we wanted to wait in line and pay stadium prices], outlets for device charging, announcement of events, service [even self-service] at the photo booths, lunch [or any suggestions therefor]... the list goes on and on.)

I'm eager to see how our society responds to this new "weak-link" challenge, and hope that we are able to adjust in time to support our growth and development, rather than collapsing under the weight of our own un-met needs. In the meantime, I'm fascinated by how clear so many things become when viewed within these parameters. Try it yourself. You'll be fascinated by what you discover.

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Christine Gritmon Inc. Christine Gritmon Inc.

Steve Forbes on learning from the past

Publisher Steve Forbes spoke about learning from past leaders at Synergy Global Forum.

While I certainly enjoyed it and learned from it, I admittedly didn't tweet a lot of Steve Forbes' presentation. It was constructed around a wonderful premise of telling stories of ancient leaders, and how history has repeated itself, especially with regards to modern business. I decided to only stick to tweeting the insights about today (the more eternal insights, I suppose), and skipped retelling the ancient stories. They were fascinating, though, and relevant, and I hope the full presentation gets released eventually so you can all see it.

Forbes, who knows a thing or two about business, as one would imagine, brought home the premise that businesses require focus on their core purpose, and was armed with many stories from throughout the ages of how loss of this foundation has led leaders and companies astray.

By constantly ensuring that their purpose is clear and drives all decisions, businesses are better able to react to market shifts, focus on building around that core instead of wasting energy by spinning into off-brand directions, deal with crises, and move ahead in ways that will ensure the continuance of the organization. Forbes Media continues to be successful 100 years after Forbes' grandfather founded the magazine. It would appear that the lessons in this presentation have been followed to the letter.

Also? Steve himself liked one of my tweets. ;)

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Christine Gritmon Inc. Christine Gritmon Inc.

Guy Kawasaki on disruption

Brand ambassador Guy Kawasaki spoke about The Art of Disruption at Synergy Global Forum.

I've had the pleasure of seeing Guy Kawasaki present twice now (see his insights from #SMMW17), and I have to say: this guy has the best ratio of expertise and realness I've seen in a presenter. He doesn't feel scripted, but he does have himself together - and not only knows what he's talking about, but truly believes it. I get the impression he'd say no in a heartbeat to a presentation on a topic he wasn't truly an expert on, and for this, he has my trust, and the trust of millions, whenever he opens his mouth onstage. I'm excited to see him again in San Diego in February at #SMMW18!

The theme of this year's Synergy Global Forum was disruption; the early Apple employee ("I'm the guy who's so dumb, I quit Apple not once, but twice!" is a line Kawasaki used both times) of course learned this from the best of the best, the legendary Steve Jobs.

Kawasaki's presentation was based around several keys to disruption (though, of course, a true disruptor doesn't need such a process). I may have skipped a point or two; chime in in the comments if you were there and I missed anything!

1. You cannot ask your current customers what to do.
They can teach you how to make your existing product better; they cannot teach you how to build something entirely new.

2. Jump to the next curve.
Don't be unprepared for the next innovation; be ready to embrace it and make it better, in the way that only you can.

3. MVVVP.
Ensure your product is not only viable, but also valuable and validating.

4. Make design count.
It's not just the inside that matters; it's the total package.

5. Polarize people.
If you're truly disruptive, people will love you or hate you. Embrace that passion. Such a reaction means you're doing something right, something new.

6. Ignore naysayers.
Haters gonna hate. And not everybody embraces the new right away.

7. It is a sign of intelligence to change one's mind.
If you aren't willing to learn along the way, you'll never grow.

8. Niche thyself.
Ensure your product is both unique and valuable.

9. Let 100 flowers blossom.
Don't assume you can control what happens once you're products in the market. Let what happens happen. Embrace any success, even if it's not what you intended.

10. Churn, baby, churn.
It's not enough to launch something disruptive and then rest on your laurels. Continue to evolve the product. Continue to be the best.

11. Perfect your pitch.
If you're going to disrupt, you're going to need to explain to - and convince! - people. So know how to say what you're doing clearly and quickly.

12. Dent the universe.

 
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