How do giants grow and what can you learn from them?

4 megatrends in the world

Recently I heard these words: The future is no longer what it used to be. Why?

There are 4 megatrends happening in the world:

• rapid urbanization (developing cities)
• demographic changes (aging populations, migrations of hundreds of thousands of people)
• hyperglobalization (everything becomes accessible to everyone, the world is one big village)
• accelerated innovation (every 3-5 years is a big technological leap)

Where do these changes come from? They are the result of the following 15 areas of technological change:

1. AI – Artificial Intelligence, artificial intelligence using, among others Machine Learning and Deep Learning for creating software that learns and is to relieve people from the most difficult and tedious analyzes or activities such as: the initial stage of recruitment, driving a car, stock market data analysis,
2. VR, Virtual Reality, virtual reality, we can watch movies through 3D glasses and move to different places in the world. The technology is still imperfect, but it allows for more and more every year
3. AR, Augment Reality, i.e. augmented reality that allows, for example, to see clothes on thanks to an interactive mirror in which we see ourselves and the jacket we want to buy,
4. BlockChain, the so-called a distributed database, i.e. a technology that allows for faster and safer transfer of important data on the Internet,
5. Smart Cities, implementing new technologies in cities to improve communication, security,
6. Cloud Solutions, all data of companies and countries is transferred to the cloud,
7. Automation, looking for improvements in production, customer service (BOTs),
8. Robotics, from personal robots to intelligent machines in factories to advanced and precise robotic surgeons,
9. IoT – Internet of Things, connecting devices in the home and the city via the Internet,
10. Cyber ​​Security, network security, privacy security systems,
11. ECO technology, renewable energies, electric cars,
12. 3D printers, for plastic, metal, food, human organs and tissues,
13. Genetic modification, diagnosis and modification of genes at the prenatal level, treatment of adults by modification of genes,
14. SM – Social Media and access to user data, social media is not a playground, it is an opportunity to exchange information and collect information about users. Some people are frightened by it, others see it as a key point in reaching the client precisely,
15. Big Data Analysis, analysis of huge data sets – without it most of the above activities would not be possible. Collecting data, maintaining it and then analyzing it requires an advanced approach.

The Three Principles of Strategic Thinking

What do leaders and entrepreneurs need this knowledge for? Well, what we can learn from the giants is the right approach and awareness of strategic thinking.

These are the three key principles of strategic, broader thinking and the specific questions that I ask my clients over and over in my counseling sessions. Forcing yourself to answer and looking for them is crucial for any leader!

Such questions undermine the status quo! And this is what the best do. This is what the giants do. They take nothing for granted. They don’t stop, but keep looking, looking into the future.

1. Tracking trends and trying to understand them

Spend time each month (or at least once a quarter) reading about new technologies and asking yourself futurological-strategic questions:

• If my competitors were to implement any of the technologies, what would they gain and what would I lose?
• How could implementing one of the technologies help me?
• How can these technologies change my industry?

2. Testing these activities

Reading and talking are not enough. At least one thing should be tested each year and its effects should be observed. Without investing at least 10% of the time and 10% of the budget in the coming years, you will be left behind as a company. You should be inspired by others, but you have to come to conclusions yourself

• How exactly to apply this technology in our case?
• What else can we do?
• How technologically can our company develop?

3. Expanding its activities to new branches

Nowadays, no company can stay in its industry for another 5-10-15 years. It must be inspired by other industries and at least 10% enter other industries (Apple entered the music market through iTunes, Google entered software for autonomous cars, Anna Lewandowska launched her eco product line). Therefore, ask yourself:

• How can new technologies help me move into an additional activity or even a new industry?
• What industry is your experience connected with?
• What industry may threaten our company?

Biggest bugs

At the same time, an extremely interesting phenomenon in business is that Procter & Gamble and Microsoft spend billions annually on innovations, and they do not introduce great innovations at all.

There is a lot of talk in the business world about how giants fail and how many of their ideas die. On the other hand, smaller companies can change the market. Snapchat started to be a threat to Facebook a few years ago, Spotify heavily threatened Apple and the iTunes application (which will reportedly be decommissioned in 2019 or 2020 and a new application will appear).

Little players from time to time start to threaten the giants. Why? How do they do it?

They apply the above questions and give it courage! They risk and make the effort. However, the key thing is that they are taking advantage of their biggest drawback: being small. Thanks to this smallness they are agile, faster and ambitious.

The big one slowly changes and closes itself in a golden cage of comfort. Little ones want to be bigger. That’s why they pose such a risk.

Therefore, it is worth looking for your place, stand out, and at the same time be inspired by the greatest and the best.

If you want to learn more and know how to use the methods of the largest companies in their business, how the best leaders from Google and Netflix motivate, resolve conflicts and create innovations. Then I invite you to the webinar on July 2 at 20:00

During training, you will learn the answers to the following questions:

• Why does Google call its employees creative geniuses and how does it manage them?
• What are the 2 key management principles in Netflix?
• How to approach conflict resolution in a team – what 5 steps must be taken and what 3 scenarios to assume to deal with a difficult situation?

This online training is paid and costs PLN 17 instead of PLN 97. The recording of the webinar will not be made available for free, but if you cannot participate in the webinar, you will be able to buy it in the store for PLN 97.