Innovation may seem like an overused “buzzword,” but research indicates it’s yet to lose its luster. The need for leading companies and economies to constantly reinvent themselves through new products, services and business models is an eternal demand of the marketplace. Stern Speakers’ roster features many of the leading innovation experts of all time. Here…
Business has reaped the rewards of new technologies but is also vulnerable to the disruption they unleash. For every Netflix – dynamic, innovative companies that use tech to capture a market – there’s a Blockbuster, succumbing to disruption because its leaders failed to anticipate the future. From AI and robotics to blockchain and cybersecurity, Stern…
Many of our speakers are also acclaimed authors, and their latest books are starting and shaping conversations across every industry. From corporate innovation to the rise of artificial intelligence, here are five subjects to consider for your business needs. MASTERING “NEW POWER” IN A TRANSFORMED WORLD Nearly a year after it was first published, Jeremy Heimans’…
A new book by Clayton Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon is encouraging innovation and transforming the way the business world, governments, and NGOs think about global poverty – and the mutually beneficial ways they can tackle it together. In “The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty” (HarperBusiness, January 2019), the authors use numerous case studies to…
Around every corner, it seems, the world is constantly changing – and it’s happening at record speed. From digital transformation to revamped political risk, leaders are faced with dilemmas requiring strategic decisions that could make or break a business. So, what does the forward-looking business leader put on his or her holiday wish list? Here…
As Uber seeks to resume testing self-driving cars on the road seven months after one of its prototypes killed a pedestrian, debate and discussion will likely turn to whether the technology is trustworthy. Joining Uber in trialing autonomous vehicles are fellow Silicon Valley tech companies Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Tesla and Waymo, as well as traditional automakers…
What are the biggest obstacles to driving your company’s transformation? Too often, leaders think of the barriers purely in terms of technical or strategic issues. But Nathan Furr, INSEAD professor and world-renowned innovation expert, argues that the real problem has more to do with basic aspects of human psychology – fear, habit and lack of imagination….
What is the biggest obstacle to large companies innovating and disrupting their industries? It may be perception. In an era where entrepreneurs are romanticized, we have become conditioned to believe that innovation begins and ends with small startups. Gary Pisano, the Harry E. Figgie Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a renowned authority…
By Brian Sherry October 17, 2018 The perceived impact of digital currencies has so far been limited to the ups and downs of Bitcoin and similar innovations on the world market. Media is overloaded with stories of rapid rises, bubbles and sudden drops in value. But the real story is in the transformative technology that enables these currencies to exist…
In corporate boardrooms and leading business schools, the question of for whom a publicly traded company is supposed to work has a simple answer: its shareholders. But a single-minded focus on maximizing shareholder value at almost any cost is responsible for much of what is wrong with our current economy, from the wealthy disproportionately benefitting…
Much of modern American society is designed around the car, and the trend toward greater density and urbanization requires new ways of thinking about transportation, traffic patterns and parking space. The challenge? Life in densely-populated areas does not always include a personal vehicle. It’s in this gap – between existing product options and people’s needs…
How does a company deal with constant innovation and disruption? The answer, says Dunkin’ Brands CEO Nigel Travis, is to embrace the “challenge culture.” Having been Chief Operations Officer at Blockbuster, Travis knows firsthand the risks of failing to anticipate imminent change and push back against the status quo. “The world used to seem static and…
The CEO is the primary decision-maker and focal point of any company, with responsibilities ranging from long-term strategy to crisis management. Success or failure of the entire enterprise depends on the CEO’s leadership. While many leading executives have an abundance of support to complete a number of their tasks, one important resource remains a scarcity: time….
By Brian Sherry June 20, 2018 Elon Musk recently made an admission that isn’t entirely in keeping with our tech-crazy times: “Humans are underrated.” Musk was speaking of the problems he experienced at his Tesla electric car factory after becoming overly reliant on artificial intelligence (AI) rather than human workers. In theory, AI boosts productivity and profit margins…
We have come a long way from the days when losing an arm or leg meant a permanent handicap. Modern bionic technology allows people who lose limbs to not only walk, run, climb, or do anything else they did before, but do it better. And still, this new generation of bionic humans are missing one element that…
By Brian Sherry June 6, 2018 If you think you can avoid the perils of data hacking and cyberattacks by logging off the internet, you’re sorely mistaken. We now live in the era of the “Internet of Things” – devices ranging from home assistants and smartphones to coffee makers and lightbulbs – that are digitally connected…
Each year, renowned business experts Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen release their World’s Most Innovative Companies list in Forbes, revealing the firms at the cutting-edge of their industries and most likely to change the world. In their 2018 list published this week, Dyer and Gregersen name ServiceNow, Workday and Salesforce.com as the top three. What do these powerhouses have in common? They are at…
How do we solve the world’s problems? Rana el Kaliouby, inventor, artificial intelligence expert, and co-host of PBS’ new series “NOVA Wonders” argues that the most pressing global issues increasingly require technological solutions. “The way to solve problems in the world is to become scientists and technologists, build things that have never been built before and…
