What do you want most in business? When GEOFF COLVIN asks business executives this question the consistent answer is – a sustainable competitive advantage.
Disruption takes its toll. Kodak owned image reproduction for 100 years – but suddenly, the consumer film market disappeared – then the commercial market followed suit. We all remember when Motorola ruled mobile – and then Nokia – and then RIM – and now none of them do. Their business models worked for a while – but were trumped by the competition. It used to be that business models lasted for decades – and management never had to innovate it. Now they have to – but knowing how is another story. Today – business models last 2-3 years and anything over 6 is Nirvana. Clearly, to survive – management needs to build its muscle on this issue.
25% of Geoff’s speaking and moderating work focuses on innovating the business model – a vital topic for virtually all organizations. Geoff’s work at Fortune has him speaking with the top leaders in business – asking them how they’re navigating disruption in their own industries. He brings those strategies and insights to audiences who hear him speak on fresh ways to create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Geoff’s April 10th Fortune piece is “3 Things to Know About GE’s Massive Restructuring” – a great article to read.
How good is Geoff? John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, just wrote Geoff to thank him for speaking and moderating sessions at the March, 2015 Cisco Global CEO/CIO Leadership Forum and said: “Once again, your stewardship of the business sessions opened the door for a truly interactive and valuable dialogue for everyone. Your deep understanding of today’s business climate and the opportunities that lie ahead added tremendous value to our conversations.”
Of course, at the heart of all success in business are the people who make it happen and the culture which engages them. Here’s a great print interview with Geoff posted by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program to promote his appearance there tomorrow. The focus is his Talent is Overrated – another of his most popular topics to speak on. This is a great piece to read if you are looking for a focus on people and performance.