Local Input, Global Impact

 

FountainBlue’s May 10 When She Speaks event was on the topic of ‘Local Input, Global Impact‘.  Below are notes from the Conversation.

We were fortunate to have such an inspiring and accomplished panel to speak on this month’s topic. They were each as adept at prescribing and creating the future of an organization as they were at inspiring everyone to contribute to a common cause. They were as passionate about delivering bottom-line results as they were about motivating all stakeholders to contribute personally and professionally to that cause.

As the speed of technology and markets continue to evolve rapidly, change is inevitable. Keeping ahead of change is imperative. Below are thoughts on how to amplify local impact to maximize global impact in order to keep up with this change.

• Plan strategically for the necessary market changes. 
  • Help individual people make shifts to people and technology strategies to keep up with market forces. 
  • Communicate succinctly, strategically and tactically so that your message is heard, and that the appropriate actions follow.
  • Design and implement collaborative solutions to specific problem statements.
• Help people embrace the unique value they bring to the table.
  • Develop the ‘as-you-are’, ‘full-self’ culture which accepts people for who they are, and invite them to fully engage and contribute.
  • Respect others for their differences. Be open to how they view the world.
  • Acknowledge people for what they contribute for each project. 
  • Speak in a language the other person understands, even if it’s foreign to you.
  • Be humble, authentic, transparent, vulnerable and sincere. 
• Welcome diverse ways of thinking, acting and being in your local groups.
  • Never impose your values on others.
  • Empower others to open minds, doors and networks.
  • Help people identify and share their own unique perspectives.
  • Shine the light on the problem without offending transgressors.
  • Collaborate with others to help ensure all voices are heard and welcomed.
• Help people manage themselves so that they can consistently bring their best selves to work.
  • Choose to be centered and happy. 
    • See my Jan 2019 blog ‘Hope for a Better World’ https://fountainblue.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/hope/ 
    • See Psychology professor David DeSteno’s thoughts on Resolutions: Gratitude, Pride, and Compassion,  
  • Invite people to stretch themselves. 
• Engage the support of all stakeholders in strategic, specific and ongoing ways.
  • Enlist support from the top-down and from the bottom up.
  • Be the role model for others. Invite others at all levels to also model the way.
  • Celebrate bottom line successes. 
  • Measure and report on cultural impact.
  • Drive results in the short term. Provide ongoing efforts for the long term.
  • Tell a story that will inspire and motivate others to also get involved.

The bottom line is that Thinking about local impact is a necessary foundation. Speaking about it adds credibility and focus. But taking action and providing resources and support to make it happen in specific ways will get Local People Engaged, leading to Global Impact.

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Please join me in thanking our gracious hosts at Oracle and our panelists for FountainBlue’s May 10 When She Speaks event, on the topic of ‘Local Input, Global Impact’:

• Facilitator Linda Holroyd, CEO, FountainBlue
• Panelist Markia Archuleta, Vice President of Oracle’s Advanced Customer Services (ACS), Oracle
• Panelist Marc Gregorio, Executive Director of Human Resources for Asia Factory Operations, Maxim Integrated
• Panelist Gayathri Radhakrishnan, Venture Partner, Impact Venture Capital
• Panelist Shobhana Viswanathan, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Automation Anywhere
• with introduction by David Ortiz, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, Oracle and male VP from Oracle with passion for D&I.

See bios at https://www.tikkl.com/fountainblue/c/localglobal.

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Blockchain Use Cases

FountainBlue’s May 3 VIP roundtable was on the topic of ‘Blockchain Use Cases’. Please join me in thanking our gracious hosts at Carta and our participating executives in attendance. Below are notes from the conversation. 

A blockchain is a growing list (or ledger) of records consider them ‘blocks’, which are linked together securely using cryptography, and include a timestamp, and transaction data. There’s been a LOT of BUZZ about how blockchain solutions will change the world, and HYPE around bitcoins in particular, hype which has not materialized into huge, sustainable fortunes for most people.

This month’s participating executives shared their thoughts on current and future use cases of the blockchain, and talked about the blockchain challenges and opportunities ahead. Below is a summary of their comments.

Why do you need to use blockchain?

• Blockchain solutions are most useful when you’re working with two entities who don’t trust each other, but need to engage with each other on a transaction, and also need to trust that the transaction will be executed as agreed by both parties.
• Blockchain solutions are useful when the buyer or the seller knows more than the other party, AND both parties want to ensure that data and information is fully shared about the negotiated commodity. An example of this is selling used cars. 

Elements of a successful blockchain solution:

• Core to any successful blockchain solution is the flexible and efficiency management,  ledgering and tracking of assets and their ownership. Defining the smallest units of ‘assets’, the smallest incremental units of these ‘assets’, the number of available ‘units’, the interim and ultimate value of these assets, the definition and conditions for changing ownership, the process for recording ownership shifts, etc., are all of essential importance.
• Blockchain solutions must include sophisticated cryptographic technology and integration processes so that they are ‘un-hackable’. Both parties must trust that neither can cheat, and that no outside party can interfere. 
• Blockchain solutions must shore up the weakest elements of a solution as hackers are most likely to focus on breaking in there.
• Even if a blockchain solution is un-hackable and completely secure, others might be able to triangulate available data and extrapolate implications of that data. 
• Blockchain solutions must respect the privacy of users.

Thoughts on how to get blockchain solutions adopted:

• Policy standards must be flexible enough to accept quality blockchain solutions, yet firm enough to discourage corruption and malfeasance. 
• Technology platforms must be integrated/standardized enough to support vetted blockchain solutions.
• Banks, corporations, government, church, and other entities must be open enough to consider blockchain use cases. When there are clear and beneficial use cases across sectors, mass adoption will follow.

The Challenges and Opportunities for blockchain use cases:

• Connect blockchain assets into physical assets (like energy, physical coins, etc.,) to get more stable value columns.
• Hire people who are technically astute, but also flexible, collaborative, open-minded, creative and willing to learn. They are the ones who will design the blockchain use cases of the future.
• Change needs to happen at all levels within an organization for fully embrace the benefits of blockchain. 
• Sometimes it makes sense to build a consortium of parties to ensure the quality of goods exchanged. An example of this is to have tech companies collaborate to ensure that the supply chain for manufacturing is of the highest quality.

The bottom line is that blockchain use cases will be created, and will be adopted and useful, but only: 1) when we need to Trust in the integrity of the data/information; 2) when we want to respect the privacy of the parties; 3) when we want to ensure security of the transaction; 4) when two parties need to exchange assets fairly; and 5) when we need real-time, validated information about the assets we possess.

Resources and Links:

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/using-blockchain-innovation-rebuild-trust-food-industry-sean-caputo/
• http://holgerwaedt.com/60-years-digital-innovations-banking/#more-215
• https://healthcareweekly.com/blockchain-in-healthcare-guide/

What does it take to lead?

I am not the typical ‘leader’ – the distinguished, white, male, ivy-school graduate with the privileged background and

exclusive network. And yet I’ve been asked to speak on leadership and innovation for the past two decades. This week, I’m speaking on the topic of – What does it take to lead? I’m profiling an early experience, an early memory, to help everyone think deeply about what it takes to lead, how they are leading well, and what else they can do to fearlessly lead.

When I was five, I lived in Hong Kong and we were assigned so much homework it took me four hours to complete it. So I charmed my uncle into doing it for me. When my teacher asked who did my homework and why, I responded that my uncle did my homework because I thought that four hours of homework was excessive. I got sent back to my seat without a comment. We got much less homework. Everyone looked at me differently after that.

From this example, what does it take to lead?

1. Self-Awareness.
   • It starts with knowing and understanding yourself and your fit with the circumstances of other people and things around you.
     • Be introspective enough to know yourself well – complete with motivations, strengths and weaknesses. Be curious enough to know others well, complete with motivations, strengths and weaknesses.
2. Independence.
   • Leaders can think like everyone else does, and act like everyone else does, but they also have their own independent way of thinking and acting.
     • See the possibilities beyond following the status quo.
3. Idealism.
   • Leaders don’t settle and accept circumstances which they feel are unjust. They are more likely to make a stand for a better world.
     • Which injustices do you face day-to-day? What are you doing about it in big and small thoughts, words and actions?
4. Empowerment.
   • Leaders are empowered enough to believe that their thoughts, words and actions make a difference – one conversation, one leader, one organization at a time.
     • Change is never a given, but feeling empowered to make a change provides hope for a better world.
5. Courage.
   • Leaders make a courageous stand for change, and are willing to accept the consequences for their role in fostering change.
     • Courage is not always in-your-face. It’s a subtle charm, a persuasive dialogue, an emotional appeal. Courage may or may not mean overcoming fear – but it does mean thinking, speaking and acting despite any fear you might have.
6. Engagement.
   • Leaders care about others. They are engaged in the community, passionate for the greater good. If they weren’t they would not act on behalf of everyone else.
     • Be engaged – really care about what you do and who you do it with, regardless of what your leadership responsibilities are.
7. Collaboration Mindset.
   • Leaders know they can’t do it themselves. They enlist allies, supporters, partners and seek win-for-all solutions.
     • Everyone has a piece of the puzzle. Welcome perspectives that stretch your own view of the problem set.
8. Resourcefulness.
   • Leaders think outside the box to get ideas, resources and support necessary to foster change.
     • Invite people to complement the resources, plans, technologies you have in place.
9. Commitment.
   • Leaders are committed to their community, to their cause… in their thinking, in their speaking and in their actions.
     • When you make a decision, be All-In. Don’t waffle and second-guess yourself. Be committed to the cause, unless it no longer makes sense to do so.
10. Strategic Thinking.
    • Leaders think strategically about the problem, the people, and the solutions. They collaboratively work with players across the ecosystem to resolve the issue.
      • It takes an ethical leader who thinks broadly about problems and empowers a wide range of others to address that same problem from different fronts. There are so many moving pieces and so many players and resources involved. The leader *has* to think strategically on their feet.

What are *your* thoughts on what it takes to lead?

How will you push your *own* leadership potential?

How will you empower *others* to do the same?