Optimize your Social Influence

Radio and Television ..... have succeded in lifting the manufacture of banality out of the sphere of handicraft and placed it in that of a major industry.................Nathalie Sarraute 1902-99

The best leaders are experts. Influence is less about selling and more about leading, which requires high levels of confidence, which in turn requires knowledge and experience. This concept can be expressed mathematically as
Knowledge + Experience = Confidence to Lead. You can control the first part of the equation; the second comes with time.

Form an opinion; Expertise leads to confidence, while helping others leads to trust which leads to sales.

Let's analyze data from the Pew Research Center:

Facebook
71% of adult internet users/58% of entire adult population. Usage among seniors continues to increase. Some 56% of internet users ages 65 and older now use Facebook.
Women are also particularly likely to use Facebook compared with men, a trend that continues from prior years.

Twitter
23% of adult internet users/19% of entire adult population. 
Twitter is particularly popular among those under 50 and the college-educated: men, those ages 65 and older, those who live in households with above average annual household income, college graduates, and urbanites.

Instagram
26% of adult internet users/21% of entire adult population. 
Almost every demographic group saw a significant increase in the proportion of users.
Most notably, 53% of young adults ages 18-29 now use the service. Besides young adults,
women are particularly likely to be on Instagram and those who live in urban or suburban environments.

Pinterest
28% of adult internet users/22% of entire adult population
Women continue to dominate the site: fully 42% of online women are Pinterest users, compared with just 13% of men.While Pinterest remains popular among younger users, other demographic groups include those living in the lowest- and highest-income households, those withat least some college experience, and suburban and rural residents.

LinkedIn
28% of adult internet users/23% of entire adult population
The site continues to be particularly popular among college graduates, those in higher-income households and the employed. College graduates continue to dominate
use of the site. It is the only platform where those ages 30-64 are more likely to be users than those ages 18-29.

People who are social support providers “altruists” are more likely to be successful influencers.

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The Future of HealthCare

The time will come when medicine will organize itself into an undercover dictatorship.
------Benjamin Rush

"You feel like an object on a conveyor belt. You don’t feel human. Medical science has decided, that’s the way it is."----------A Patients Narrative

Healthcare is currently being transformed where Automation replaces physical labor and
Artificial Intelligence supplant human intellect. AI algorithms and machine learning are revolutionizing disease detection and treatment. In breast cancer, AI enables faster and more accurate mammogram reviews, reducing the need for biopsies.

For instance, a doctor can’t remember the last 200 research articles on a specific heart disease, but a computer can.

Patient's/Doctors contact will soon be minimal or nonexistence, consider the following technological breakthrough:

• Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring technologies allow patients to receive medical care remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and improving access to healthcare, especially in rural or underserved areas.
•  Wearable biosensors (blood pressure cuff or pulse oximeter) gather key vitals from a
   patient and then wirelessly communicate that information to the patient or a third-party monitor.
•  BioProcessors, will not only gather information, but could also diagnose illnesses and even forecast our health. They’ll give us instantaneous analysis of various parameters.
• The Internet of Medical Things refers to the network of interconnected medical devices, sensors, and wearables that collect and transmit health data for monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment purposes. IoMT technologies enable real-time monitoring of patients, remote diagnostics, and proactive healthcare management.
• Hospitals now have facilities for point-of-care 3D manufacturing, applications include personalized implants, prosthetics, and surgical models.
• Robot (STAR) surgical technology, which doesn’t depend on a doctor’s manual capability. STAR was developed to apply stitches with the same level of skill as top surgeons, all through the use of a 3D imaging system and precise touch sensors—all on its own.
• Nanorobots that invade the cells of cancerous tumors via the bloodstream, delivering medication directly to target sites. The nanorobots travel from the injection site of a patient through flagellated, self-propelling bacteria, which contain cancer-fighting drugs. The nanorobots detect hypoxic areas—spots in the tumors that lack oxygen—and deliver powerful medication in precise locations to keep the surrounding healthy tissues and organs intact.
•  Biometric devices will make internal monitoring systems transparent, allowing us to use the information these systems are gathering for more successful preventative daily care and better react to medical emergencies.
• Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by providing secure and transparent storage and sharing of medical records, ensuring patient privacy, interoperability, and data integrity. Blockchain-based solutions can streamline administrative processes, reduce healthcare fraud, and improve the security of electronic health records (EHRs).

Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, involves tailoring medical treatment and interventions to individual patients based on their genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Advances in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics enable clinicians to develop targeted therapies and interventions that are more effective and have fewer side effects.

Eventually:
Biosynthetically grown organ replacement, skin would be grown, or 3D printed if a graft for a third-degree burn is needed. Whilst pushing the limits of evolution, we are yet to discover a way to prolong youth......

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Seasons Greetings

Enjoy your Holidays

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare;
Lenghten your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.
Isaiah 54:2-3

Develop Intrinsic motivation by engaging in an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. In simpler terms, it's doing something because you find it personally rewarding or enjoyable, rather than for external rewards or pressures. When you're intrinsically motivated, you're driven by internal factors like personal interest, enjoyment, or a sense of accomplishment.

For example, someone who enjoys painting might feel intrinsically motivated to spend hours creating art simply because they love the process and find it fulfilling, regardless of whether they receive external recognition or rewards for their work.

Tips for Business Success:

Plan Ahead: Start preparing for the holiday season well in advance. Create a detailed 

plan that covers inventory, marketing, staffing, and promotions.

Leverage Online Presence: Optimize your online store and use social media and email 

marketing to reach potential customers.

Customer Engagement: Offer excellent customer service, and consider loyalty programs 

or personalized offers to retain customers beyond the holiday season.

Adapt to Trends: Stay updated on consumer trends and preferences, as these can change 

from year to year.

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The Genius from Talent

Genius does what it must and Talent does what it can.................Owen Meredith (1868)

Thomas Alva Edison(1847-1931) was born in Milan, Ohio, he lost much of his hearing as a boy and had little formal training. He worked as a railroad newsboy on the Grand Trunk Railway and soon printed and published his own newspaper on the train, the Grand Trunk Herald

During the civil war he worked as a telegraph operator in various cities and invented an electric vote recording machine.

In 1871 he invented the paper ticker tape automatic repeater for stock exchange prices, which he then sold in order to establish an industrial research laboatory at Newark, New Jersey.

In 1876 he moved the laboratory to Menio Park, New Jersey, where he was named Genius of Menio Park

He took out more than 1000 patents in all;
-The gramophone (1877),
-The incandescent light bulb (1879) 
-A system for generating and distributing electricity and designed the first power plant (1881-82)
-The electric valve (1883) 
-The kinetoscope (1891).
-The first talking motion pictures (1912)
-A megaphone
-A storage battery,
-Discovered thermionic emission, formerly called the "Edison Effect"

Tireless at experimentation but always practical and commercial in his goals, he was the most prolific inventor the world has ever seen.

We also must progress from Talent to Genius

Here is the Tech Trend fo 2019:

1 Digital Twin
2 Artificial Intelligence
3 Block Chain
4 Autonomous
5 Digital Ethics and Privacy

Digital twin is a digital replica of the assets, processes, and systems of an organization, it will turn the
70% failure rate of transformation into a 70% success rate.

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration............Thomas Edison (1903)

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Seasons in Life

Tweak 1% for 100% Improvement

Knowledge rests not upon truth alone, but on error also...... Carl Gustav Jung

The most effective form of self-care in radically traditional leadership is caring for others.

Isolation can have an effect on the human mind; a loss of proportion, an obsession with detail and an inability to see the larger picture.”
Leadership can be similarly isolating and no one in a leader’s orbit is neutral:

Electorates need food, shelter, security and infrastructure
Direct reports have their own teams to worry about.
Employees depend on their jobs,
Investors demand key milestones,
Customers need solutions.
Board members are shareholders first and mentors second.
Friends and family struggle to understand the burden of the job.

Leaders need a 1% tweak in self-awareness and clarity to remain a source of inspiration, guidance, and vision for their teams.
Businesses need a stable core with a disruptive edge and a 1% tweak in strategy to stay ahead.

A Few Tweaks:

1- Most companies expand into foreign markets with local business partners why not also engage digital influencers
   Digital influence is an extension of the age-old practice of word of mouth via virtual platforms
   to reach mass audiences in localities around the world. It’s time for marketing departments to recognize the potential of these
   new local voices and engage them to accelerate global expansion
2- Most businesses focus on owning resources and growing, why not to shape society and share expertise
3- Most companies strive to own talent and reduce staff turnover, why not employ part-time staff (critical experts) deliberately,
   to stay fresh with continuous flow of new ideas.
4- Most organisations try to be efficient, by putting similar units together, why not disrupt and generate creative accidents, working on different projects,
   to create movement and bumps. So employees from different disciplines continually question each other, share problems, ideas, and opportunities
5- Most organisations change their leaders every five years, why not keep them in place for more than 10. Not just at the top of the organization, but
   two or three levels further down, where key knowledge and influence resides.
6- Most businesses patent their discoveries why not also find great things to do and share them with the world particularly with kids through
   books, articles and films. NASA engineers publish their work online

Most businesses are looking for large breakthroughs, why not make tiny tweaks, as they are easier to achieve and more difficult to imitate.

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Mood

The Trade of Globalization

A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy...... Bagehot quoting Benjamine Disraeli 1845

Globalization is not a modern development but technological advances have greatly enabled it by making goods and capital transactions quicker.

An ancient series of trade routes, designated the “Silk Road” by a 19c historian ran from the Mediterranean to Xian in central China and was used by Alexandria the Great to conquer Persia.Silk, spices, perfumes, amber, coral, gold, ivory, glass were traded along these routes. Apart from commodities, knowledge, art, science, disease and religious cultures also travelled along the Silk Road 

In earliest times, at the rise of globalization; consumption left the asset whether a gold field or a cinnamon tree in the hands of the producer. Modern globalization of production can mean that the asset is owned and controlled by a foreign concern.

Economic Aspects:

Globalization involves the exchange of goods, services, data, technology, and capital. Removal of cross-border trade barriers has facilitated the formation of global markets. Advances in transportation (steam locomotives, ships, jets) and communication (telegraph, Internet, smartphones) have driven interdependence.

Cultural and Social Dimensions:

Beyond economics, globalization impacts culture, beliefs, and ideas. The exchange of cultural practices, art, music, and cuisine transcends borders. Disputes, diplomacy, and international relations are integral to the history of globalization.

Global corporations increasingly tend to influence national governments to set up tariff-free zones, such as NAFTA, EU, ECOWAS to homogenize consumer preference. To its critics, globalization has no philosophical basis and is merely a new form of cultural and economic colonialism.

While independent theories speculate that globalization can close the gap between the first and third worlds, my personal observation is less conclusive.
     
The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy...........Robert Blake Disraeli 1966

Do some trading and.....

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Lilies in the swamp

A Step Ahead

It’s more fun to arrive at a conclusion than to justify it........ Malcolm S. Forbes

Our world has been transformed by digital technology. It would be hard to explain how an IBM mainframe in 1960 will someday replace friends, books, and newspapers, but now our daily habits.

We need to start preparing for a new era of innovation
AI (artificial intelligence) is great for marketing more intelligently and efficiently but AI is simply a requirement for making sense of the vast arrays of data — structured and unstructured

Every member of your team should be able to answer:
How artificial intelligence work?
What it is good at?
What it should never do?

AI will soon move from being a “nice-to-have” capability to a “must-have.”

If you Ask:
Why should a non–data scientists learn data science?
That’s like asking why non-accountants should be expected to stay within budget.

But more precisely

We are at the close of the Digital Era:
1- the technology itself that allows more transistors onto a silicon wafer, known as Moore’s Law is ending.
What enabled us to make our technology exponentially more powerful year after year is no longer easy to achieve.To maximize performance, we now need to optimize existing technology for a specific task

2- the technical skill required to create digital technology has dramatically decreased, by no-code platforms.
The ability to work with digital technology is increasingly becoming a midlevel skill.

3- digital applications are becoming fairly mature. A new device like laptop or phone today, does the same things as the one you bought five years ago.

Essentially, the challenge ahead is to learn how to use bits to drive atoms.

Consider robotics and the effort to develop advanced battery chemistries to drive the clean energy economy, or the discovery of materials that don’t yet exist with the simulations on genomes.

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Art: Intertwine

Voting Beyond Digital and Paper Ballot

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have perverted it with tyranny......Thomas Jefferson

Voting is an absolutely essential tool for any democratic government, it is the carnival of democracy. But it is really fascinating that a lot of countries are yet to move from the digital or traditional paper ballot system of voting.

The Problems with Traditional Paper Ballot System
• From physically going to the venues and waiting in long lines, The entire process is extremely tedious.

• The amount of time taken to count the votes is too high.

• The election can be hijacked via the insertion of bogus ballot papers.

• More powerful parties can use intimidation tactics on the venues to rig the election in a certain way.

• The amount of paper wastage can cause harm to the environment.

• There is no historical record possible to keep track of each and every vote made.

• The cost of expenditure on paper ballots is very high.

• It is impossible to keep track of your vote.

• Once you have cast a vote you cannot change it.

These are some issues with digital voting system:

• The client-side machine could develop a malware which reads each and every vote cast and changes the vote to the other candidate.

• An attacker can directly infect the servers through malware placed on the servers and transfer the votes.

Burning Questions:
What exactly happens to your votes after you cast it?
How is integrating blockchain technology going to fix this?

The goal is simple; To make the election process as transparent as possible.

The use Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) to create votes can make the electoral process transparent. ECC is a form of asymmetric cryptography. Asymmetric cryptography uses two keys (a public key and a private key) to encrypt and decrypt data. ECC is basically what bitcoin and ethereum use for their cryptography

Any potential voter can securely login using their webcam and government issued ID.
After they are done the voting, anyone can use their voting ID to track their votes and check that it has been cast correctly. On top of that. They even give their voters the ability to change their votes any number of times till the deadline.


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Ethical Machines

The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded.
— Stephen Hawking

You awake one morning to find your brain has another lobe functioning. Invisible, this auxiliary lobe answers your questions with information beyond the realm of your own memory, suggests plausible courses of action, and asks questions that help bring out relevant facts. You quickly come to rely on the new lobe so much that you stop wondering how it works. You just use it. This is the dream of artificial intelligence.

Imagine a more intelligent smart phone embeded in your brain

Hyper-intelligent software may not necessarily decide to support the continued existence of humanity, and would be extremely difficult to stop. This could be a real source of risks to civilization, humans, and planet Earth

There are three philosophical questions related to AI:
1. Is artificial general intelligence possible? Can a machine solve any problem that a human being can
solve using intelligence? Or are there hard limits to what a machine can accomplish?
2. Are intelligent machines dangerous? How can we ensure that machines behave ethically and that they are used ethically?
3. Can a machine have a mind, consciousness and mental states in exactly the same sense that human beings do? Can a machine be sentient, and thus deserve certain rights? Can a machine intentionally cause harm?

Development of militarized artificial intelligence is a related concern. Currently, over 50 countries are researching battlefield robots, including the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Many people concerned about risk from superintelligent AI want to limit the use of artificial soldiers

Wallach describe artificial intelligence as being guided by its two central questions
1- Does Humanity Want Computers Making Moral Decisions
2- Can Robots Really Be Moral

Ethical Dilemmas: As machines make decisions, ethical questions arise. For instance, how should an autonomous car prioritize passengers versus pedestrians?

At present businesses are deploying AI for profit with drones, driverless cars, medical diagnosis and financial apps, why stop the momentum before the ethics concern are adequately understood, articulated and crystalized.

Safeguards such as robust testing, ethical guidelines, regulatory oversight, and ongoing monitoring can help mitigate risks and ensure that intelligent machines are developed and used responsibly for the benefit of society. Ethical frameworks, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public engagement are critical for addressing the complex challenges posed by intelligent machines and fostering trust and accountability in their deployment.

   

In conclusion, apply the three-box framework to your AI business.
The Three-Box Framework, first introduced by Govinderajan and makes leading innovation easier:
Box 1: The present- manage the core business at peak profitability
Box 2: The past- abandon ideas, practices and attitudes that could inhibit innovation
Box 3: The future- convert breakthrough ideas into new products and businesses.

Humans Remain the Biggest Ethical Risk

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Ideas in the Air

Saturate yourself through and through with your subject . . . and wait. —lloyd morGA

Are There Ideas in the Air? There are several scientific discoveries made by separate people working independently in different parts of the world at around the same time.

These coincedences raises the possible question— are there ideas/inspiration “in the air?
If So;

Why can’t that person be You?

These ideas “in the air” are waiting to be snatched up by the right person at the right time in history,
Some Ideas Discovered :

■ Telescope: Hans Lippershey, James Metius, and Zacharias Jansen each independently invented the telescope around the same time. (1608)
■ Electricity: Thomas François D’Alibard and Benjamin Franklin each independently captured electricity at around the same time. (1750–1752)
■ Oxygen: Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele each discovered the molecules that make up oxygen at around the same time. (1773–1774)
■ Telephone: Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell each independently discovered the telephone at around the same time. (both in 1876) 
■ Social Networking: Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook at around the same time that Tom Anderson invented  MySpace. (2003–2004)

In order to “receive” the ideas in the air, you have to deliberately and consciously scan your environment for ideas that are relevant to your task.

Ideas around batteries include.

Recycling:

Proper disposal or recycling is crucial to managing the environmental impact of batteries. Many types 

of batteries contain materials that can be harmful if not handled and disposed of properly.

Recovery of Materials:

Recycling facilities aim to recover valuable materials from spent batteries, such as metals, plastics, 

and electrolytes. These materials can be reused in the production of new batteries or other products.

These ideas encompass a wide range of initiatives, and their success often relies on 

a combination of individual actions, community involvement, and government policies. Each idea 

addresses different aspects of preservation and sustainability, contributing to a 

healthier planet for current and future generations.  

To capture new ideas, you have to make a new choice about what is relevant.
Then you have to focus to isolate noise
Then you have to record those ideas as they come

Nothing or Nowhere is Useless; Wealth or Poverty, Urban or Rural, Extrovert or Introvert............just be a Willing Vessel

Capture the Ideas in Your Environment

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General Management - A Case Study

General Management Program; Nigeria - A Case Study

Case Study:

Africa is growing; Seven of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, and the continent's largest economies are becoming less dependent on extractive commodities. The continent's rising middle class has demonstrated a taste for consumer goods and technological innovation and Africa's population - currently more than a billion people- is booming
and overwhelmingly young at a time when population in other regions are shrinking and ageing.

Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa's largest economy epitomizes both the promise and the problems the continent faces in the 21st century. The country had failed to thrive for its first thirty years as an independent nation, despite having a developmental head start relative to countries
like China and India, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue.

Macroeconomic management and diversification

Nigeria’s growth was more volatile and tied to oil price swings; chronic exchange-rate and inflation issues and limited diversification made the economy vulnerable.

China/India achieved more stable, export-driven growth and better mobilization of domestic savings into investment.

Why India and China succeeded 

China: centralized political control with high implementation capacity, consistent industrial policy, huge infrastructure and urbanization push, export orientation and massive FDI-led manufacturing.

India: democratic stability, a strong civil service and legal system, English-language advantage, tech and services expansion after liberalization (1991) and significant private-sector dynamism.

What Nigeria could do 

Reduce dependence on oil: diversify into agriculture, manufacturing and services with targeted industrial policy and export promotion.

Strengthen institutions: improve rule of law, judicial efficiency, anti-corruption measures, and public financial management.

Build human capital: prioritize basic education, vocational training and primary healthcare.

Fix infrastructure bottlenecks: reliable power, good transport and ports, digital connectivity.

Improve security and reconcile regions: better conflict resolution, reduce militancy drivers (poverty, grievance).

Reform taxation and governance: build a broad-based tax system to deepen accountability and reduce rent-seeking.

Make business environment reforms to attract long-term FDI and enable SMEs to scale.

Caveats

Comparisons are simplifications: China and India are very different from each other too, and each faced unique challenges and advantages. Progress takes time and requires political will and sustained institutional reform. Nigeria’s large population and market also present huge opportunities if those constraints are addressed.

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Female Startups

In the absence of clear goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until we become enslaved by it.......... Robert Heinlein

One of the most important thing a female entrepreneur can bring to the table is Trust.
Building trust with customers can be challenging but you can overcome that challenge by
Co-creating your products and services,
Associating with prominent figures and
Embracing transparency

Here are Some Interesting Female Startups:

1. Accompany uses AI to be your virtual chief of staff, providing you with all of the information you need before meeting just about anyone.

2. Brandless was just named by Fast Company as one of the world’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. Brandless co-founder Tina Sharkey has created one of the strongest direct to consumer brands around.

3. Verge Genomics uses machine learning and human genomic data to defeat neurodegeneration. This is one exciting genomics startups.

4. Mighty Networks co-founder Gina Bianchini is taking on Facebook once again, having previously co-founded social platform Ning together with Marc Andreessen (which grew to 90 million users).

5. Hipcamp is a marketplace that connects campers and land. If you're an outdoors person you'll love it. Dave Morin says: "This is an amazing idea and so well designed. In love."

6. Lumi co-founder Jesse Genet turned down a Shark Tank deal two years back. Today, the packaging company serves customers from all 50 states and 20 countries worldwide. Lumi recently announced a $9M Series A round of funding, and the company is profitable. 👏

7. Shippo helps businesses succeed through shipping, and powers eBay's Guaranteed Delivery Program (among other marketplaces and platforms). Shippo recently raised a $20M Series B funding round.

8. Guild Education is an education benefits platform that allows employers to offer tuition reimbursement and college degree programs to their employees. Lifelong leaning is one of the most important skills to in internalize.

9. May Mobility is an autonomous vehicle startup that deploys fleets of driverless vehicles for enterprise and municipal customers. For more, check out our list  of the Top Self Driving Car Startups. 

10. Werk is the premier destination for flexibility as the future of work. The company sources highly flexible jobs from top companies.

11. Collective Retreats offers luxury retreats to the kind of destinations that will blow your mind. It's a new, more meaningful way to travel.

12. Modern Fertility introduced easy test that gives you powerful information about your fertility. The same fertility test offered in top fertility clinics, online, and for a fraction of the cost.


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Intrinsic Motivation

Why are some people unimaginative in one context and so creative in another?
Intrinsic Motivation is a major component of what makes people creative, if there is a true commitment to a shared mission, the ideas will come.

Intrinsic motivation is often associated with higher levels of creativity, persistence, and overall satisfaction with one's activities. It contrasts with extrinsic motivation, where individuals are motivated by external factors such as rewards, praise, or avoiding punishment.

Cultivating intrinsic motivation can be beneficial in various aspects of life, including work, hobbies, and personal development, as it fosters a genuine passion and commitment to what you're doing.

Established firms will be disrupted by startups if they fail to innovate. The biggest misconception about innovation is that it’s about ideas. It’s not. It’s about solving problems. So, the first step to building an innovative team is to hire people interested in the problems you need to solve.

Three Ways to Improve Intrinsic Motivation:

1. Create Diversity.
   The challenge for managers is to create an environment that is both diverse and psychologically safe. Great innovative teams learn to constructively work through these tensions. You should be creating an environment where people expect to have their
   perspectives challenged by someone who looks, talks, and thinks differently.
    
2. Value Teamwork.
   Creative people are friendly, gracious, with genuine interest and desire to help others. The best innovators are knowledge brokers, who embed themselves into networks. This character is so consistent that we can conclude that when it comes to innovation, generosity can be a competitive advantage.
3. 
   
4. Promote Psychological Safety.
   The opportunity of each team member to give voice to their ideas without fear of reprisal or rebuke. Perhaps; That one elusive piece of insight can crack that tough problem

The truth is you don’t need the best people — you need the best teams.

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Start the Debate

“Often pleasant, seldom pleasing — but certainly not disruptive are dicisions made without debate”.......Emmanuel Sodipo

Research has shown that how one defines and identifies with entrepreneurial role, affects ones
ability to amass key resources. While investors allocate significantly more money to disrupters, that capital is deployed less efficiently because disrupters’ flashy ideas may energize and inspire others, it might not be enough to keep them.

Operating models must define ways of working and behaviors that bring your cooperate strategy to life

Consider these three cooperate models:

• Your company’s promise to its customer is lowest costs, is everyone focused on cost control?
• Your reputation is built on superb service, is everyone highly attuned to how they affect the customer experience?
• Your brand is on high-performance, what behaviors are nonnegotiable and how you’re enabling them?

Now consider these three personal profile:

• I am a passionate innovator who loves helping fast-growing companies excel. I create the
  greatest value when leading or advising an organization where there is a need to
  disrupt existing solutions to achieve growth and value.
• I am a builder of things. My purpose is to build systems and tools that allow for things to be done with greater
  intelligence, with less friction. I surround myself with like-minded people who see the possibilities and find a
  way to make them a reality.
• I am diligent, loyal and a believer, I have faith in God and all things work together for good, the wealth of
  the wicked shall be transferred to the rightous

What personal profile best match the listed cooperate model?

Start the Debate

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Seasons Greetings

Have a Fun Holiday

Holiday sales typically refer to special promotions and discounts offered by retailers during specific holidays, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and others. These sales events are popular among consumers who take advantage of the discounts to purchase gifts, decorations, and other items for themselves or their loved ones. Retailers often plan ahead for these events, strategizing their marketing campaigns, stocking up inventory, and offering attractive deals to attract customers and boost sales during these periods.

The holiday season can present both opportunities and challenges for businesses, depending on the nature of the business and how it positions itself during this time. 

Here are some key considerations for businesses during the holiday season.

Opportunities:

Increased Sales- Many businesses, especially retailers, experience a 

significant boost in sales during the holiday season. People are shopping 

for gifts, decorations, and holiday-related items.

Online Shopping- The growth of e-commerce has made it easier for businesses 

to reach a wider audience during the holidays. Online sales often spike as

 people shop from the comfort of their homes.

Seasonal Products and Promotions- Offering holiday-themed products, special 

promotions, and discounts can attract customers looking for unique gifts 

or deals.

Gift Cards and Gift Certificates- Selling gift cards or certificates can 

be a lucrative option, as they are popular last-minute gift choices.

Holiday Events and Marketing- Hosting special events, sales, and marketing 

campaigns with a holiday theme can generate excitement and drive foot traffic.

Partnerships and Collaborations- Collaborating with complementary businesses 

for cross-promotions can help reach new customers.

Stay Blessed and See You Soon

Cluster of Idea Space

The education of the incremental innovator leads to mastery of the already available paths of scientific knowledge and methods.......William Baumol

With concepts like Big Data, Block Chain and IOT, most businesses are now confronted with the leap from “dumb" products into creating smart, connected products.

"Idea space" generally refers to a conceptual or virtual environment where ideas are generated, explored, and developed. It's a mental or collaborative space where individuals or teams can brainstorm, innovate, and problem-solve without constraints or limitations.

Breakthrough inventiveness requires unorthodox approach to education that favors the exercise of the imagination. A world of education spanning geographical barriers resulting in exchange of ideas between students, professors and entrepreneurs.

A mix of in-company training and formal training within a climate of interactive spaces for knowledge creation, dissemination and innovation.

Innovation Labs- Within companies or organizations, an idea space could refer to physical or digital environments specifically designed to foster innovation and creativity. These spaces often feature tools, resources, and processes that support ideation and experimentation.

Brainstorming Sessions- During brainstorming sessions or workshops, participants enter an idea space where they suspend judgment, encourage wild ideas, and collaborate openly to generate new concepts or solutions.

Virtual Collaboration- With the rise of remote work and digital collaboration tools, idea space can also refer to online platforms or virtual environments where teams come together to share ideas, collaborate on projects, and co-create solutions regardless of physical location.

These interactions morphed into clusters:
Businesses have clustered into networks throughout history, but today we refer to business clusters like the technology industry in Silicon Valley, the financial sector in London and automakers in southern Germany.

Business clustering is an organic process involving a self-organized, self-sustaining, and self-reinforcing formation of interconnected businesses.

Vibrant cities rely on clusters that can adapt; and cluster adaptability in turn hinges on an “idea space.”
 
An idea space for a handful of skilled individuals, local entrepreneurs recycled with academic excellence.

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Growth in a Digital Landmine

Error moves with quick feet and truth must never be lagging behind........ Anonymous

Digital transformation is not just about technology. The approach a company adopts to communicates with its employees, organizes them, and reskills them will play a fundamental role in its ability to take advantage of the new consumer landscape.

Plug-and-play e-commerce technology, search engine optimization, big data, block chain and other distribution solutions are making it far easier for products to directly reach consumers.

Some compaanies like:
Coca-Cola recently reshuffled its leadership team to focus on growth, innovation, and digital by enabling them to build digital road maps for their regions and businesses
.
Unilever just acquired Dollar Shave Club (for digital subcription sales)

L’Oréal invested in Founders Factory (for digital startup accelerator)

Kassir Hussain of Connected Home observed that “In a space that can often be confusing and frustrating to consumers, our focus on regular user interviews, meetings,tests, and demos allowed us to build a product that was simple, easy to use, and addressed real consumer needs.”

Companies undertake transformation for various reasons:

Untapped Potential- Capturing unexplored value.

External Challenges- Disruptive entrants, changing consumer behavior, and macroeconomic pressures.

Strategic Goals- ESG value creation, M&A moves, diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.

Types of Transformation:

Digital Transformation- Infusing technology and tech-enabled processes.

Green Transformation- Prioritizing environmental sustainability.

Crisis Transformation- Navigating storms and disruptions.

CP Transformation- Crafting purpose-driven, inclusive organizations

We must continuously invest in periodic upskilling initiatives in a range of learning experiences to grow in the digital age.

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Invest in People

A young man is a theory; an old man is a fact......... Edgar Watson Howe

It’s not money that’s in short supply; it’s good growth ideas.

Who has these inspirational ideas that we translate into productivity-driving innovations?
People do.

 
Reinvesting in people could unlock new levels of labor productivity for cities and companies around the world.

Education as the Seed:

Imagine a fertile field where seeds of knowledge take root. Education is that soil, the bedrock of growth.

Formal education equips minds with facts, theories, and skills. But don’t overlook the informal education, the whispered wisdom of mentors, the pages of books, the symphony of life experiences.

Health and Well-Being:

Picture a healthy sapling, its leaves vibrant, roots deep. Investing in well-being pays dividends.

Physical health: Encourage exercise, balanced diets, and mental breaks.

Mental health: Destigmatize conversations. Provide resources for stress management and emotional support.

Diversity and Inclusion:

A diverse forest thrives. Inclusion isn’t charity; it’s strategic investment.

Representation matters: Cultivate an ecosystem where voices from all walks of life are heard.

Equity: Ensure fair access to opportunities.

An inspired employee is twice as productive as a satisfied one. The average, manager has less than seven hours per week of uninterrupted time for deep reflection. They spend the rest of their time attending meetings, sending e-communications that lead to employee burnout.

Companies should seek to systematically eradicate organizational drag — all the internal complexity that leads to inefficient and ineffective interactions. Leaving managers more time for deep thinking that unlocks innovation with significant impact on productivity.

For instance, Toyota Production System use Kaizen events to improve productivity on the manufacturing line. They pull workers off the line while giving them time and space to make processes.
leaner and to devise innovative work methods.

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The Ultimate Sale

The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative conclusion
– these are the most valuable coin of the thinker at work...... Jerome S. Bruner

A soft sales close is a technique used in sales to gently encourage a prospect to make a decision or take action without applying direct pressure. Unlike a hard sale close, which can be more aggressive and direct, a soft close focus on building rapport, addressing concerns, and guiding the prospect towards a decision in a subtle and respectful manner.

Buyers amass information that helps them justify their strategic decisions, with a soft close you can win the ultimate sale. A soft close can based on a suggestion that leads a buyer into believing they are acting of their own free will, when in fact they have been directed to follow an action.

A soft close technique like “If you spend another $Y, you will receive an additional X% off the entire order” can give you the winning sale.

Asking Open-Ended Questions, Soft closes often involve asking open-ended questions that encourage the prospect to share their thoughts, preferences, and objections. This helps the salesperson address any concerns and tailor their approach accordingly.

Trial Closes, instead of directly asking for the sale, the salesperson may use trial closes to gauge the prospect's interest and readiness to move forward. For example, they might say, "How does that sound to you?" or "Would you like to explore this further?"

Why Sales Win
The strategic values for buyers include :
1) Increasing revenues
2) Decreasing costs
3) Gaining a competitive advantage
4) Standardizing operations in order to reduce risk

Why Sales Fail
1) You can’t clearly explain how your solution helps the buyer’s business
2) You are too self-centered
3) You don’t alleviate the risk of buying your solution
4) You can’t establish a personal connection with the buyer

Overall, a soft sales close aims to create a positive buying experience for the prospect while gently guiding them towards a decision that aligns with their needs and interests.

Make the Ultimate Sales

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The Green of Business Health

We are collectively suffering from “nature-deficit disorder,” which hurts us mentally, physically, and even spiritually......Richard Louv

Research suggests that investing in landscaping our domain with plants will pay off through an increase quality of life and productivity.

Corporations can significantly reduce organizational health costs by introducing more green spaces and plants into an office space. Adding a little wilderness to your environment may just be the smartest move you can do this year.

Corporations like Google prioritize biophilia as a core design principle with these interventions you can reduce everyday stress and also boost general health.

Taking walks in nature lowers anxiety and depression while boosting total well-being. Even a very small exposure to nature – as little as five minutes – can produce dramatic benefits, especially when coupled with exercise like walking or running.

Ways to go Greener:
Encourage walking meetings outside.
Encourage naturally lit areas for breaks and lunch.
Create an indoor garden or a vertical “green wall.”
Move your creative space closer to a park or natural environment.
Display nature photography or artwork.
Play nature videos on your display screens.

Brighten your office by allowing as much natural light as possible. 

Consider LED lighting for artificial illumination.

Reduce paper usage by embracing digital processes. 

Use recycled printing paper when necessary to minimize waste.

Start a recycling initiative within your office. Place recycling bins near desks, printers, and break rooms.

Clearly communicate what items are recyclable and set goals for your organization.

Go green, improve your creativity, health and reduce your ecological footprint.

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