The Power of People: How to Lead the Change | Dagmar Boettger | TEDxCityUHongKong
Innovation requires embracing the "roller coaster" of change, as the necessity to design the future through innovation is paramount in the current age of disruption. The speaker warns that companies must proactively innovate, citing the failures of Nokia and BlackBerry, because failing to adapt to disruptive forces risks obsolescence. ## Speakers & Context - An unnamed speaker giving a talk to an audience of professionals and potential innovators. - The speaker frames the talk around the concept of the rapidly accelerating pace of change in the modern world. - The speaker's mother's guidance is cited as a core message: *"there's always a way out just think."* ## Theses & Positions - To remain relevant in the current rapid pace of change, one must push one's "own envelope" and design the future through innovation. - Innovation is constant, described as a "roller coaster," and is necessary because today's problems cannot be solved with past thinking. - Disruption is generally positive, evidenced by revolutionary changes in medicine (e.g., 3D printing for bone materials) and education (virtual classrooms, Ivy League courses for those anywhere). - The risk lies with those who are not "part of creating something new" or who are "too small or too maybe not brave enough to ask" challenging questions. - Companies must build a strong agenda for innovation and embrace the inherent risk associated with it. - Failing to adapt to disruptive market forces can lead to a company's demise, as seen with traditional industries. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Digital Revolution:** A period characterized by massive changes and disruptions, exemplified by the rise of the iPhone. - **Disruption:** The process by which market leaders or established industries become obsolete due to new technologies or business models. - **Co-creation:** A leadership model where people can actively co-create with customers. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Innovation Process:** Requires navigating challenging emotions like anxiety while finding a way to get a new idea into the market against skepticism. - **Adoption Cycle:** Companies must keep up with evolving trends; those who ignore signals (like Oxford or the film industry) fall behind. - **Market Transformation:** New business models, like Uber and Airbnb, are revolutionizing traditional sectors. - **Leadership Requirement:** Leaders must build teams that encourage diverse mindsets to increase creativity and sustain innovation. ## Timeline & Sequence - **10 years ago:** The iPhone was introduced, fundamentally changing daily tasks (banking, shopping, ordering food). - **Past Century (for the speaker's father):** Steel production was once the industry, which was then disrupted, potentially costing the family their home. - **Present:** The current time is characterized by this accelerating wave of digital and industrial disruption. - **Future:** Continued revolutionary changes are expected in medicine and education. ## Named Entities - **Oxford:** Cited as an example of an industry that failed to see technological trends arising. - **Nokia:** Cited as an example of a company left behind by market trends. - **Blackberry:** Cited as an example of a company left behind by market trends. - **Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:** Cited as an entrepreneur who acted on unaccepted ideas, eventually succeeding in brewing coffee. - **Uber founder:** Cited as an example of a founder who struggled to transition into a stable, "reasonable company leader." ## Numbers & Data - **10 years ago:** When the iPhone was available. - **10,000 times:** The number of attempts Einstein reportedly made when developing the lightbulb. ## Examples & Cases - **iPhone:** Represents the rapid shift in everyday life, enabling online banking, shopping, and smart home integration (e.g., ordering food via refrigerator). - **Medical Advancement:** Doctors can use 3D printing for materials in the bones and display diagnoses via big data visualization. - **Education Access:** People in Africa or anywhere globally can access "Ivy League courses" through virtual classrooms. - **Ocean Cleanup Project:** Successfully funded by **one hundred forty thousand funders** across **one hundred and sixty countries** over **a hundred days** to start building prototypes. - **Father's Job:** Worked as a steel engineer in a region that had only done steel production for a century; faced potential job loss due to industry shift. - **Successful Models:** Uber and Airbnb exemplify modern, disruptive business models. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **iPhone:** Device symbolizing massive digital change. - **3D printing:** Technology used in medicine for creating bone materials. - **Virtual classrooms:** Platform for remote education. - **Autumn Eyes software:** Mentioned as an alternative to traditional accounting roles. - **Drones:** Potential tool to repair structures, like plants. ## References Cited - **Einstein:** Quoted regarding the nature of failure and perseverance. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Traditional Company Structure vs. Innovation:** Companies prioritizing only cost-cutting over embracing disruptive market forces risk total failure. - **Geographic Limits on Education:** Virtual classrooms overcome physical barriers, allowing access to top-tier learning regardless of location (e.g., Africa). ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The general fear associated with change makes people reluctant to challenge the status quo. - Some individuals or companies might become "too small" or lack the bravery to ask difficult questions. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - Individuals must be prepared for the digital era by staying open, learning continuously, and engaging with emerging trends. - Company leaders should prioritize building a culture that embraces risk and innovation. - Action items for the audience include: challenging professors, participating in innovation teams, and actively seeking to build new things. ## Implications & Consequences - Continued reliance on outdated systems or resistance to change will inevitably lead to market obsolescence for established players. - The skills required are shifting away from single, traditional crafts towards adaptive, interdisciplinary problem-solving. ## Verbatim Moments - *"We cannot solve the problems of today with the thinking we used when we first created them."* (Einstein quote) - *"Innovation is a roller coaster it certainly is."* - *"This time of disruption is a very good one because it will bring also good cause with good changes."* - *"No people in Africa in any part of this world can actually get Ivy League courses and be part of a platform where they can learn top-notch classes that's revolutionary."* - *"If a new idea doesn't work it's seen as failure of course it is because it's easy to blame somebody who was courageous but Einstein remember Einstein he tried 10,000 times when he developed the lightbulb and he said I didn't fail I just tried 10,000 times till it worked"* - *"There's always a way out just think."*