Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage

The featured guest on episode 182 is Daniel Burrus. Daniel is recognized as one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and innovation experts. You can tap into his insights by listening to this episode. Another way to absorb his futurist ideas is by reading his seventh and latest book, The Anticipatory Organization.

On this episode, Daniel explains why he wrote his newest book, who it’s for, and why brands need to be anticipatory rather than reacting once there’s already a problem.

Daniel heads his own research and consulting firm, aptly named Burrus Research, where he monitors global advances in technology-driven trends to help clients profit from technological, social, and business forces that are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities. He is a strategic advisor to executives at many companies including Cisco, Dell, DuPont, GE, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, the Pentagon, SAP and numerous others. He helps these companies develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations.

Reacting to Problems Isn’t Good Enough

The book is based on Daniel’s online video learning system used by many major companies. The book allows him to share the principles with a bigger audience. Written for leaders, i.e., entrepreneurs, managers, VPs, etc., the reader is someone who wants to find the advantage in disruption and change.

Daniel points out how change is moving at an accelerated pace. Last year 34% of IBM’s revenue came from products and services that were impossible to do two years before. Reacting to problems is no longer good enough. Instead, brands need to be anticipatory. Referencing the subtitle, Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage, he goes on to describe the difference between hard and soft trends. Tune in to find out how the two open opportunities!

The “New Model” is Imperative

Everyone says they’re transforming, but in reality, most are just changing. Daniel gives an example of the evolution of music delivery and how consumption has transformed over the years. He predicts that over the next five years we will transform every business process.

Daniel’s book expounds four sections of the new imperative to doing business:

1. Know what’s next (see the future)
2. Developing opportunities (must do’s)
3. Shape the future (transform culture)
4. Accelerate success (transform results)

The disruptors will follow this new model, and the disrupted will have to deal with the repercussions of not keeping up.

Transforming Culture, Not Changing Culture

Section three of The Anticipatory Organization is all about transforming culture. Daniel says, there is an unspoken war between the younger and older generations that needs to end now. He goes on to say that organizations need to be able to do a time travel audit of people. Their age doesn’t necessarily matter. Younger people can be past-oriented and older people can be future-oriented. In the book, you’ll learn “how to jump into their time zone and get permission to walk them into the future.”

The Anticipatory Organization includes a section called 25 Proven Strategies to Shape the Future. These are proven strategies that create transformational results. On this episode, you’ll learn how Daniel arrived at these 25 strategies.

Daniel has a special offer for listeners of the podcast. You can get a free hardback copy of the book at theaobook.com. All you’ll pay is the shipping charge!

For insights on B2B marketing trends, download our Social Business Journal Volume 10 The 5 Most Influential Topics for B2B Marketing, sponsored by Lithium Technologies.

Featured On This Episode:

• Daniel Burrus on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Burrus Research’s website
• Get your free copy (just pay the shipping) of The Anticipatory Organization
• Download Social Business Journal Vol. 10, The 5 Most Influential Topics for B2B Marketing
• Visit the Vengreso website
• Follow Vengreso on Twitter
• Discover how to boost your sales through the Vengreso Social Selling Virtual Boot Camp
• Write a review of this podcast in iTunes
• Social Business Engine on Twitter: @sbengine

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This podcast originally appeared on Social Business Engine.