You Must Become a Disruptor

In Business Change, Business Process Management, Change Management, Innovation by IRM UKLeave a Comment

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

We have seen more change in the last 18 months than in the previous ten years. It feels as if the time to implement change has dropped to almost nothing in some areas. New technology adoption is so fast that some of the announcements for the next five years were inconceivable last year. ” By 2021, Ford hopes to build a fleet of fully autonomous cars without steering wheels, brake pedals or any other way for a human to take control of the vehicle.” Wired 13/09/2016

Marc Dowd, Founder, PathFinder4, The Ecosystem for Disruptive Innovation, marc@pathfinder4.com

Marc will be facilitating some of the sessions at IRM UK’s Innovation, Business Change and Technology Forum Europe 2017, 21-22 March, London 

Article previously published here

 

Whether we like it or not we are living in an age of disruption brought on by technology. Just think of the changes to every business model that autonomous vehicles alone will cause. Land prices will change. Leisure patterns will alter. Work environments will morph yet again. New business models will appear; old ones will wither.

Some technologists get it and are preparing to become the leaders that companies need. They understand that complex technology is hard, and people change is even harder. I call them the Disruptors.

The Disruptors are in short supply. A large majority of companies are bogged down with implementing technology that makes the business work a little bit better. Disruptors are about preparing companies to build business models that harness the emerging technologies. Business advantage comes from adapting to the pace of the market. The keys are agility and doing something different.

Believe me, the Disruptors are setting the pace, and most companies won’t keep up.

Companies who only focus on what their customers want today will be redundant tomorrow. Over the next 18 months, we will see some of the emerging technology start to be applied at scale. By then it will be too late to “start thinking about it”.

Over the last year, I’ve been talking to leaders about the ways in which technology can be used to grow competitive advantage. What these leaders have been telling me is that they don’t have a way of learning from others who, like them, are harnessing transformational disruption to radically change their companies.

Through discussions with leaders we know that there is a need for an ecosystem for disruptive innovation – a stimulating environment, online and offline, for a meeting of like minds. A place where members won’t just talk about it, but a space to make disruptive innovation happen.

In UK industry corporates need to take on board the knowledge and capabilities of start-ups, influencers and other experts.  While at the same time smaller firms need access to opportunities.  Where big businesses hold larger purse strings but lack agility, and start-ups and other experts hold ideas and expertise, there is room for massive synergy.  There exists an opportunity to disrupt together, in response to a fast-changing consumer and technological landscape.

PathFinder4’s vision is to build an ecosystem of passionate people who believe technology can be a positive force to change the status quo.  As a disruptive ecosystem, we will help organisations with the connections, resources and research to drive innovation and rapid business change.

Within the ecosystem we are seeing real life synergies where “Challenges” set by leaders are being met and augmented by the ecosystem. An example is “the Humanitarian Passport” where Save the Children wishes to provide immutable proof of identity in crisis situations. Through the PathFinder4 ecosystem, they have partnered to create a solution with Tymlez, one of the world’s best blockchain for enterprise companies.

We are growing the Membership across our tribes especially Leaders, Advanced Suppliers, Experts and Influencers. Our Charter Members are drawn from the most disruptive minds in a variety of areas including Business, Government and the Charity sectors. Our advanced Suppliers cover technologies such as Blockchain, AI and data monetization.

Marc Dowd is a specialist in disruptive innovation. He carries out research on how technology trends are changing the world at an increasing rate.  Marc has well over a decade of experience working as an advisor to the leaders of some of the world’s largest firms.  Through his consultancy Manage Disruption, he runs masterclasses in disruptive innovation and its impact on business and the world. Marc helps companies of all sizes be disruptive using his “Vectors of Disruption” methodology.  Marc is also a founder of PathFinder4.com. PathFinder4 is an inspiring, thought-provoking and exclusive network where experienced leaders and disruptors collaborate to drive radical change and business success. To find out more about how we can help you build the knowledge, capabilities and connections to make disruptive innovation happen, come and check us out at PathFinder4.com

Copyright Marc Dowd, PathFinder4

Leave a Comment