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Mentors can come from anywhere. While some are assigned to us, the best mentorship comes from those with whom we form a personal bond of mutual respect and regard. We have been fortunate to have been (mostly informally) mentored by a world class educator and innovator — Scott’s father. In recognition of his birthday onRead More The post Celebrating the Mentorship of Dr. W. James Harper, aka “Dad” appeared first on Business Advancement.

As opportunities for doing business in Africa continually evolve, Dr. Deanne De Vries, a member of our Growth Igniters® Community, has major news. Her book “Africa: Open for Business,” just won “Africa Business Book of the Year” award from the Business Council of Africa (BCA). This week, we speak with with Deanne about the award,Read More The post “Africa Open for Business” Wins Top Book Award – with Dr. Deanne De Vries appeared first on Business Advancement.

What does it mean to ‘change the game?” Game-changing growth involves leading in a dramatically different direction to create new value. It could be to create new value in new markets, or improving your value in existing markets. The secret of leading a game-changing vision in the face of ambiguity? One is to become awareRead More The post Change the Game by Changing the Pattern appeared first on Business Advancement.

The implications of the rising use of AI in Business and all aspects of society are still very much at the forefront of conversations among top leadership. Are you among the many CEOs who see the game-changing potential of ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI?  What are the current and emerging issues that canRead More The post CEOs and AI: Still A Tricky Partnership – with Paul Rulkens appeared first on Business Advancement.

Many CEOs of established companies tell us that making high-quality decisions at warp speed requires a special skill set. But there’s also a lot of art in balancing the often competing needs of employees and other stakeholders. In this Growth Igniters® Quick Take, we discuss the key to increasing high-quality decisions at warp speed. WhenRead More The post Increasing High-Quality Decisions at Warp Speed appeared first on Business Advancement.

What does it mean to lead a happy company in the face of uncertainty ? And for that matter, whose happiness should we be most concerned with?  It’s time to change the narrative on leading a happy company. In this episode. we speak with Edwin Edebiri, MBA, about the importance of CEOs taking on theRead More The post From CEO to CHO: Changing the Narrative on Leading a Happy Company appeared first on Business Advancement.

These days it’s the norm to lead your company in the face of ambiguity. This applies whether you’re dealing with evolving technology, trade wars, workforce change, environmental issues and most anything else. So what’s the key to making game-changing decisions when the signs point in all directions? In this “Quick Take” episode, we share whatRead More The post Leading your company forward when the signs point in all directions appeared first on Business Advancement.

Did you know that there’s strong evidence that leading with humility can foster a more successful, innovative, and resilient organization?  Humble leadership includes the ability to consider others’ opinions, act with self-awareness, and lead from a spirit of generosity instead of narcissism. To achieve ambitious goals as the world keeps changing, we need each otherRead More The post Becoming a Humble CEO – with Craig Dowden, Ph.D. appeared first on Business Advancement.

One of the most challenging aspects of being the visionary CEO of a successful, growth-oriented company is exemplifying the  habit of life-long learning. This can help you keep igniting game-changing growth in the constantly changing world. Media, books, podcasts, conferences, and continuing executive education are all helpful. However, they are still just a starting point. Read More The post How Can You Exemplify the Value of Life-Long Learning? appeared first on Business Advancement.

Are you growing your company through M&A? It’s tempting to focus primarily on the transactional side of the deal; but there’s also an emotional journey post-acquisition that can impact success of the deal. Knowing what to look for can help you and your organization thrive despite the uncertainty and challenges of the transition.  Thriving ThroughRead More The post Thriving Through M&A: It Starts at the Top – with Jennifer Fondrevay appeared first on Business Advancement.

One of the most challenging aspects of being a visionary CEO of a successful company is leading high-stakes conversations with your C-Suite and Board. Maybe you’re making a game-changing decision about innovation to enter a new market. Maybe you’re making decisions about reorganizing for transformation.  Or perhaps it’s something else. But like many CEOs, you mayRead More The post What’s the Key to Leading Successful High-Stakes Conversations? – A Quick Take appeared first on Business Advancement.

Did you know there is growing evidence that dyslexia can make for a more visionary, innovative CEO?  A few of the famous CEOs who openly speak about their dyslexia include Richard Branson, Barbara Corcoran, and Bill Gates. Many other leaders are now stepping forward to publicly discuss being a dyslexic CEO. In this episode, aheadRead More The post The Dyslexic CEO – “There Is No Box” with Paul Daniels Jr. appeared first on Business Advancement.

As a visionary top leader, you’re already thinking big and challenging yourself to new adventures to help you look at the world in new ways. Maybe you’ve climbed Kilimanjaro or sailed to the Antarctic. However adventures such as these can be few and far between. Fortunately, there is another route to redefining what’s possible toRead More The post How “Everyday Adventures” Can Fuel Game-Changing Growth appeared first on Business Advancement.

When you’re focused on igniting game-changing growth for the long term sometimes it’s easy to become so focused on the big outcome that you simply mark off tasks instead of celebrating your milestones along the way. But we’ve discovered that there’s value in going beyond just marking off milestones and celebrating them. It can provideRead More The post Pam & Scott’s Quick Take: How are You Celebrating Your Milestones? appeared first on Business Advancement.

Perhaps you’ve seen that despite global uncertainties in 2023, more leadership teams and investors are interested in growing their businesses in Africa. What will it take to succeed?  It starts with reframing some common misperceptions about Africa and its people. In this episode, we discuss reframing some of these misconceptions with returning guest, Dr. DeanneRead More The post Reframing Misconceptions About Growing Your Business in Africa with Dr. Deanne De Vries appeared first on Business Advancement.

As you lead your company to new levels of success, you’re making big decisions that challenge the status quo. These may include merger & acquisition, entering a new market, reorganization, and more. How are you facing employees’ and other stakeholders’ likely resistance to your leadership decisions around these issues? Some CEOs and C-Suite executives activelyRead More The post Leadership and the Spirit Of Aikido appeared first on Business Advancement.

As a CEO or C-Suite leader, perhaps you’ve been under pressure to address societal issues such as climate change, economic inequality and workforce reskilling.  If so, you’re not alone. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, there is a growing expectation for CEOs to actively support societal issues their employees and other key stakeholders careRead More The post Why Trust In CEOs Matters Now More Than Ever – with Tim Hebert appeared first on Business Advancement.

Did you know that every January is National Mentoring Month in the U.S.?  Who has been an important mentor in your life?  In this “Quick Take” episode (which we recorded in January), we share the first in an occasional segment we’re calling “Thanking our Mentors.” The first mentor we’re thanking is Scott’s father, Dr. W.Read More The post Thanking Our Mentors – Dr. W. James Harper appeared first on Business Advancement.

Are you thinking that 2023 might be the year to expand your US company into Europe, or to expand your European company into the US?  If so, you’re in good company, according to our guest, Sophie Boutelegier, Founder and Chief Expansion Officer of Expandify. The question is, what does it take to lead a successfulRead More The post The Keys to Leading a Successful U.S. – European Business Expansion – with Sophie Boutelegier appeared first on Business Advancement.

What makes the difference between leadership fads and transformational leadership that lasts and creates long-term growth? In this “Quick Take” episode, we share our insights on this issue, and how it can challenge even the savviest leadership teams. We discuss how the challenges of transformational leadership for long-term growth can show up together, like aRead More The post Leadership Fad or Lasting Transformation? Only Time Will Tell appeared first on Business Advancement.