Driverless cars.

Water shortages.

Digital printing.

New sources of energy.

Donald Trump…

These are just a few of the potential future global trends that could impact the way we live, eat, drink, work, and get to work over the next 3-5 years.  Insightful and evolved business organizations and leaders around the world are struggling with how to assess and build the leadership behaviors, skills and competencies needed to lead in a future world where major disruptions will impact business performance and perhaps even business survivability.

One of the most intriguing and challenging aspects of selling in the global digital world is that according to the Corporate Executive Board, 57% of a potential new customer’s decision is made before they engage with a sales professional or that sales professional’s company.  There are several major reasons for this change including the fact that so much information – from web sites, user groups, and social media – is available that decision makers don’t need a sales professional’s expertise until it’s time to discuss specific details or of course pricing.

“Holding people accountable” has been a leadership rallying cry since the beginning of commerce.  Over the past few years has, it has become even more important in the global economy where work and leadership comes in all different sizes, flavors, and time zones.

The last three months has been an exhausting whirlwind of work with different client organizations going through profound change.  During this time, I’ve had the privilege of working with more than a half dozen companies who are:

In our non-stop, 24/7, “always on” business world, it is easy to forget or worse yet, not pay attention to some of the very basic elements of Business Acumen that make our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous worlds function even if at times it’s not in the most efficient ways.