"Too many people think they know how to lead, not fully understanding what that really means. Foundational elements of great leadership include willingness to work with others, readiness to cooperate, achieving common success goals, and building strong teams. Poor leaders want the position for the power. Exceptional leadership derives from confidence in yourself, knowing who you are, building on your strengths, and leveraging team members to mitigate your weaknesses. Leadership is a team sport." -- Michael D'Onofrio
A Poem on Leadership from guest blogger, my son, Michael Anthony D'Onofrio
Lessons from the Google Acquisition of Nest Technologies
In January, the Economist published a special report on the evolution of technology which they titled "A Cambrian Moment". The premise of the special report is that "cheap and ubiquitous building blocks for digital products and services have caused an explosion in (tech) start-ups." The magazine compares the current convergence of technology trends to the "Cambrian explosion" 540 million years ago when life forms began to multiply.
Every year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) trade event in New York seems to get bigger and more global. 2014 did not disappoint with over 30,000 retail professionals listening to 300+ industry experts and visiting a record 200,000 square feet of exhibit space showcasing the latest technologies. Brazil had once again the largest contingent of attendees outside the United States.
NRF is a great stage on which to reflect the " Big Ideas " that are reshaping retail. The top 10 from NRF 2014 include:
... And Why Three Others Really Matter for a Prosperous New Year
At the start of the New Year, two amazingly confluent appreciable elements came together:
In the German speaking part of Switzerland, 10 Rules of "How to Work Better" painted on a wall in English.
A University that provided the world 12 Nobel Prize laureates.
For the past 12 months, on my regular commute to Neuhausen Am Rheinfall I've struggled from the train to read the "How to Work Better" rules painted on a grey building north of Zurich. Most days could only discern the top 3.
It is that time of the year to look forward at the top 10 key trends that will drive technology adoption in 2014:
Successful technology deployments focus on strengthening the brand
According to Deloitte, brand value declined in 2013, for the third year in a row. To win in 2014, companies will need to go back to basics by selectively deploying technologies that protect and grow global brand value.
Have recently become fascinated by the early market examples of wearable technologies and their future possibilities for improved professional and personal productivity. Leading the pack:
Google has an entire web site dedicated to Google Glass. In a highly graphical fashion, Google asks you to imagine that next bike ride, creating that perfect meal, instant visual language translations, picking the ideal golf club for the distance, and composing that perfect song.
The first weekend of November happened to be in my Italian hometown during the annual tradition of memorializing fallen soldiers and civilians from past wars. November 4th, which is now celebrated on the first Sunday of the month, has dual significance for the Italians. It is known as the Holiday of National Unity and also the day to recognize the Armed Forces. Historically, this date celebrates the Italian victory over the Austria-Hungary Empire in 1918, unifying and ending World War I for the country.
Early that Sunday morning, the sound of the marching "Bersaglieri" military band piqued my interest. On this day did not expect to become a witness of emotional traditions celebrating the past which very quickly translated into new lessons for the future.
Product or service differentiation has always been a strategy adopted by the retail industry towards finding that winning formula for growth. Differentiation can take many forms and include price, product quality, store decor, targeted consumer audience, and the business model itself. Two recent examples of successful retail differentiation:
Zara and Fast Fashion
Forbes Magazine recently recapped the successful Zara business model. A team of designers and product managers in Spain oversee design, sourcing and production of specific apparel categories. These individuals monitor closely the sales process of each apparel collection -- from the time the merchandise reaches the stores to the real time customer response.
-- How Piggly Wiggly Built Today's Self-Checkout Legacy --
"An invention acts rather like a trigger, because, once it's there, it changes the way things are, and that change stimulates the production of another invention, which in turn causes change, and so on. Why those inventions happened between 6,000 years ago and now, where they happened, and when they happened , is a fascinating blend of accident, genius, craftsmanship, geography, religion, money, ambition..." (1) -- James Burke
Fortune magazine recently published the 100 fastest growing companies. (1) Analyzing this year's list:
Revenues for the top 100 global fastest growing companies totaled over $627 Billion, up from $390 Billion a year ago. Apple, which was part of this group, had revenues of $169 Billion and profits of $39.7 Billion.
On the journey to learn something new, we travel to Montreux Switzerland. After the creation of a Jazz Festival by Claude Nobs in 1967, the founding of the world-class Mountain Studios inside the local casino in 1975, and favorable tax benefits, this quiet Swiss Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman) town became a destination to create music by legends such as Queen.
The earliest settlement in Montreux dates back to the late Bronze Age. The name Montreux comes from the Latin word monasteriolum, meaning "small monastery". Over hundreds of years, the local language changed this Latin word into Mustruel by 1215, and later into the modern name Montreux.
Deep Purple got the inspiration to the song “Smoke on the water” here. The rock group Queen with lead singer Freddy Mercury recorded 6 albums here. The studio was inside the casino that burned down in 1971 that inspired the Deep Purple memorable song.
For Freddy Mercury, Montreux became his second home; a place where he could escape the spotlight and focus on what he loved most: making music. Today, his legacy lives on through the iconic Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva in this picture.
Being a fan of classic rock, I truly enjoyed my visit to Montreux and blasted “Smoke on the Water” in my ear pods on arrival. This particular pose with Freddy was a personal reminder that life is short and never forget to let your guard down and have fun.
Psychologist Mike Rucker once wrote that "Happiness is a state of mind, but fun is something you can do. It doesn't require education, money or power. All it requires is intentionality. If happiness is a mirage, fun is your backyard oasis."
My oasis is celebrating life, always having a positive attitude, listen to all types of motivating music, and living each single moment as it was my last. At the top of my voice, I will continue to scream that we are all champions of possibilities that must keep on fighting towards our destined end. Rock on my friends.
Confidence in physical retail remains solid this year. More than 55% of survey respondents said they feel confident or very confident about brick-and-mortar performance in 2026, while only around 20% expressed concern. - From Place AI Read more
The Number 1 country continued lead reinforces a broader trend: countries with strong institutions, high trust, and robust social safety nets consistently rank highest in life satisfaction. - From Visual Capitalist
willingness to work with others, readiness to cooperate, achieving common success goals, and building strong teams. Poor leaders want the position for the power. Exceptional leadership derives from confidence in yourself, knowing who you are, building on your strengths, and leveraging team members to mitigate your weaknesses. Leadership is a team sport." -- Michael D'Onofrio
of the special report is that "cheap and ubiquitous building blocks for digital products and services have caused an explosion in (tech) start-ups." The magazine compares the current convergence of technology trends to the "Cambrian explosion" 540 million years ago when life forms began to multiply.
Every year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) trade event in New York seems to get bigger and more global. 2014 did not disappoint with over 30,000 retail professionals listening to 300+ industry experts and visiting a record 200,000 square feet of exhibit space showcasing the latest technologies. Brazil had once again the largest contingent of attendees outside the United States.
Successful technology deployments focus on strengthening the brand
professional and personal productivity. Leading the pack:
and civilians from past wars. November 4th, which is now celebrated on the first Sunday of the month, has dual significance for the Italians. It is known as the Holiday of National Unity and also the day to recognize the Armed Forces. Historically, this date celebrates the Italian victory over the Austria-Hungary Empire in 1918, unifying and ending World War I for the country.
growth. Differentiation can take many forms and include price, product quality, store decor, targeted consumer audience, and the business model itself. Two recent examples of successful retail differentiation:
production of another invention, which in turn causes change, and so on. Why those inventions happened between 6,000 years ago and now, where they happened, and when they happened , is a fascinating blend of accident, genius, craftsmanship, geography, religion, money, ambition..." (1) -- James Burke
