by beCause Global Associate David Hain, Director Transformation Partners — We live in a fast-moving, complicated world that frequently makes it a struggle to pause for breath, far less to make sense of it all. This US military acronym describes it perfectly — VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. We are hyper-networked and have incredible technology at our disposal, yet the very pace of technological advance creates confusion, exhaustion and suspicion in its wake. Customers and employees today are highly empowered, infinitely more demanding than previous generations and with an attention span that is significantly shorter because of the choices available to them from the device in their hand. Yet often they are cynical and change weary – wary of... more

by beCause Global Associate Andrea Learned, Founder LearnedOn — The definition of business leadership has changed, a lot, since the 1950s. The fact that there are many more women in leadership positions these days is rightly getting plenty of coverage now. But, beyond celebrating that women are bringing “it” to the table, what “it” is has yet to be been given its full due. What I’m talking about are relational skills and traits. Things like practicing empathy and understanding communications nuances are the secret sauce for business leadership success. But, while these have long been typed as “women’s ways” or “soft” skills, women are not the only ones who can tap or learn to better use them. So, why does the traditional business... more

by beCause CEO Nadine Hack – When Jerry & I visited Madiba at his Soweto home soon after his release from prison. We were privileged to work with Oliver & Adelaide Tambo, Albertina Sisulu, Albie Sachs and other leaders of ANC Executive Committee while Mandela was in prison. Please write tributes to Mandela in comments below!

by beCause CEO Nadine Hack – I am thrilled to live at a time of such rapid and profound changes.  It’s like tectonic plates are shifting and we can scarcely envision how this metamorphosis will unfold even while we try to shape it for positive outcomes.  I tingled listening to Richard Seymour who designs for the future and Anton Musgrave who guides people to prepare for it. And yet, plus ça change: Jennifer Sertl, thought leader on corporate consciousness and author of Strategy, Leadership and the Soul, reminded me the more things change the more they remain the same. After I extolled her impressive work, she said I “stand on your shoulders.”  I told her that we were part of... more

by beCause CEO Nadine Hack – On August 28 at 3:00 pm EST, 50 years to the hour of the exact time and date when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech, the King Center is calling on us to reaffirm Dr. King’s message of “Let Freedom Ring.” Click here to watch speech. The King Center hopes there will be programs in sites globally and they encourage local creativity, like: Arrange to ring the largest bell (and/or as many other bells) in your city, state or nation; Encourage churches, temples, mosques, community centers and schools to ring bells; Create any other activity – small or large – that would have meaning where you live. Please organize some activity... more

by beCause CEO Nadine Hack – In 2009 my friend Suzanne Braun Levine published another one of her great books in which she wrote about being patient with the confusion of the “Fertile Void” we often experience in later adulthood. By remembering that my powerful sense of unknowing what was to come next for my husband Jerry and me actually had a rich fertility within it, I let go of trying so hard to plan it out and surrendered to not knowing and seeing what might germinate. Shortly after, I was invited to become the first woman to serve as Executive-in-Residence at IMD Business School. Who could have imagined how sublimely happy we would become in our new life living... more

I’m honored to have this guest post from Peter Cook, renowned author of five books on business leadership and creativity. In his latest book “The Music of Business”, he draws parallel lessons from the world of music and relates them to his MBA and his work as a business consultant. I asked him some questions about some of my favorite musical artists at the end. Here’s what he had to say about the book. What can you learn about creativity and innovation from The Beatles and David Bowie? What can Lady Gaga teach you about Business Strategy and using Social Media positively? Can a study of Jazz help you beat the competition? What can Spinal Tap, Deep Purple and Led... more

As our consulting engagements always have been international, our clients – Fortune 500 companies, global NGOs, governments – agree it does not matter whether I base from Lausanne or New York.  I am delighted that my fascinating work with them is boundary-less.  While beCause Global Consulting continues to provide a spectrum of services – design strategic action plans; create multi-sector alliances; provide executive coaching; integrate corporate social responsibility; improve organizational and governance structures; etc. – our particularly unique specialty is to help clients develop and execute effective stakeholder engagement processes that directly impact achieving their goals.  You can hear my most recent interview on Radio Frontier, Geneva, about our pioneering work on Strategic Relational Engagement (SRE).  See what clients say about... more

During February among many wonderful IMD executive education programs I worked with Bill Fischer, IMD Innovation Management Professor and Idea Hunter maestro assisting executives examine and refine plans for their future.  Next week with IMD Finance Professor Arturo Bris during IMD’s Advanced Strategic Management program we’ll help other global executives tackle their challenges.  We engage with participants before, during and after these on-site programs and, I continue to write about the strategic value of engaging stakeholders with my latest series published by ReWiring Business.  Share what you have found to be effective and/or challenging in engaging stakeholders.