Like so many of us, I had a well-crafted plan for what I’d be doing right about now. In between traveling, speaking, and teaching at Columbia, I’d work on picking a sector of the economy… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Thought Sparks
Thoughts in the Midst of an Inflection Point
Well, as this is the month of International Women’s Day, I was planning to create a newsletter on some of the major inflection points with respect to women in the world. It’s written, but just… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Everything Old Is New Again: Why Fast Fashion Is Facing an Inflection Point
When retailers ranging from Nordstrom to J. C. Penney and Macy’s start to stock used clothing in their flagship stores, you know something in the zeitgeist has definitely shifted. Where We Are Today: The Rise… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Shopped Out? Holiday Shopping and How It Has Changed
The packages have been unwrapped, the ribbons have been undone, and the unwanted presents have been re-gifted or returned. How has the current state of the art with respect to holiday shopping unfolded, and what… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Global Peter Drucker Forum Sessions That Made Me Think
The theme of the conference was “the power of ecosystems,” and it very much reflected my longstanding interest in managing in complex (rather than just complicated) environments. While it would be too much to offer… Read more »
The Booming Business of Looking After Boomers
Plenty of people are gearing up to make a—ahem—killing in the senior care business. Is it an opportunity or a mirage? The World Is Getting Grayer One of the more interesting types of strategic… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Packaging: A $1.2 Trillion Sector Going Through a Rethink
We want it personal, digital, flexible, and eco-friendly, and we’re starting to turn away from plastics, but none of this is easy. We’re Asking a Lot More of Packaging Than We Used To—and Suppliers Are Responding As e-commerce continues its penetration into every corner of our commercial… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
The Fast Changing, But Fickle, Competition in Consumer Packaged Goods
Digital has made a whole new kind of business model possible—and incumbents are reeling. Born-Digital Companies Are Going Direct They’re new, they’re nimble, and they’re communicating with your customers right under your nose, causing decades-long… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Venture Capital 2.0: This Time, It’s Different?
Venture capitalists are partying as if it’s 1999—and we know how that went. Entrepreneurship 101 says startups should conserve cash, keep costs flexible, and operate with parsimony. Way too many founders in the 90’s laughed… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Seeing Around Corners Named Must-Listen By Apple Books
I was delighted to discover that Apple Books has selected my new book, Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen, as one of this month’s Must-Listens! You can check it… Read more »
The Trouble With Consulting
Predicting the end of traditional management consulting has become something of a cottage industry, but so far the market leaders have retained their allure despite a world which has shifted underneath them. The Management Consulting Business: A Rich Target… Subscribe for Premium Thought Sparks Content »
Business Scholars Should Write for Practitioners, Not Just for Each Other
There is a large chasm between what academics study and write about in business academia and what practitioners are eager and hungry to learn about. Interestingly, however, both sides are curious about what motivates and… Read more »