By beCause Associate Jennifer Sertl – Sibos is an annual event that connects over 8,000 people from 212 countries from the entire financial ecosystem. Having gone for three years myself, this year marked a visceral tipping point between the traditional compliance oriented banking community and the innovative emergence of blockchain technology. Globalization and open data have made an undeniable imprint that will continue to force new mindsets across the industry. There are several experts in this space and I invite you to take a deep dive into blockchain technology and the implications with Don Tapscott. Beyond how this technology enables global business functionality, I want to highlight another technology- namely, leadership. There were three people in particular who stood out with a... more

beCause Associate Lina Srivastava interviewed by Henry Jenkins, Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts at University of Southern California – As my student Geoff Long likes to say, transmedia is an adjective, not a noun, and as such, it needs something to modify. Much of the conversation here has centered around transmedia entertainment, transmedia storytelling, or perhaps transmedia branding and transmedia learning. But, when the word transmedia modifies activism or mobilization, there is no more important voice in the world today than Lina Srivastava. In her hands, transmedia becomes a verb — something we do to make a difference in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiOKsv_1wRo#t=22 I first met her in Madrid several summers ago when we were both speaking at a gathering of thinkers... more

by beCause Global Associate Andrea Learned – Why have the topics of sustainability and gender balance still not become key priorities for smart business leadership? And why does coverage of business “disruption” still seem to focus solely on the clever, the hip and the solely technological when culture demands organizational change to a whole other level? As someone with marketing to women roots and a now deep passion for sustainable business, perhaps I take lack of attention to these less exciting topics a tad personally? It’s possible. But, no matter what is behind my irritation, sustainability and gender balance have never gotten their due, and by now, any discussion of them seems like “old news.”  Still, we best not leave it there.First, a quick look at my own path as background for my perspective: Women Consumers To... more

by beCause Global Associate Jennifer Sertl, founder Agility3R, helping leaders navigate complexity – Sibos is an annual conference organized by the  SWIFT International Banking Operations Seminar for the financial industry. This year’s conference was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Over 7,000 decision makers were in attendance from over 212 countries debating the future of money in particular global finance, crypto-currencies, payments, securities and trade issues.  While much of the conference was geared to financial institutions and multinational corporations, there were messages and lessons discussed that can help all leaders across sectors be better prepared and should be scaled. All leaders will navigate sea-change better by strengthening discernment, building strong networks, and ensuring a more robust toggle between local and global. “People focus on... more

I am honored to have Tech-Geekista Nikki Longo write the following guest post on power of social media: “In an eye-opening experiment conducted earlier this year, Facebook encouraged its users to become organ donors. The response was nothing short of a miracle, as organ donor registration increased by 3,012 donors on the first day of the campaign. That uptick accounted for a 2000% increase in daily donor registrations. Today, charitable organizations often use crowdsourcing via social networks like Kickstarter to fund their initiatives. Crowdsourcing in its most basic sense is receiving services, ideas, financial donations, or content by seeking contributions from a large group of people. In recent years, social media has helped nonprofit organizations find that delicate balance of asking... more

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

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

by beCause CEO Nadine Hack – I love that quote from Rainer Maria Rilke.  Every spring, as new life blooms, I think about how all cultures honor rebirth and regeneration.  Christians celebrate Easter about resurrection and new hope; Jews celebrate Passover about liberation and renewal; Muslims celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi honoring the Prophet Muhammad’s birth; Buddhists celebrate Purnima, the birth of Budha; Hindus celebrate Baisakhi, the start of their new year.  This spring what are you doing that is a new blossoming for you?  I rejoice in the new experiences life continues to offer me.  I gave a TEDx talk in Geneva “Adversaries to Allies” and you can click to watch it now. My guests on a Trust Across America program... more

For decades I have worked with leaders from every sector helping them develop and execute strategies to better engage myriad stakeholders in order to achieve goals.  In the past decade, the explosion of social media has increased everyone’s inter-dependence and thus this work only has become more important.  So, now I’m asking you to engage in a different way: on social media platforms.  Please post comments on and/or links to my on-line articles, including two published by Huffington Post: Improving Stakeholder Engagement Increases Productivity, Profit and Sustainability (SRE); Engagement Leadership and Enhanced Relationships Fundamental to Sustaining Effective Business (EL); one published on THAP, The New Rules of Social Engagement and a series published on ReWiring Business.  I’m interested in your thoughts... more