The Uncommonly
Pragmatic Blog
strategy
Excelling during extraordinary times: 12 tips for catalysts and change makers
2023 is already shaping up to be another year of the unexpected, and pressure to anticipate and adapt. Economic uncertainty, a redefined talent marketplace, political and social instability, extreme weather events and other circumstances are among the changes creating the possibility that leaders will ride roller coasters on top of earthquakes – or at least…
Is the Chief Innovation Officer a Symptom or a Cure?
As 2019 comes to a close, and with 2020 just days away I’m excited and grateful to reflect upon a year of enriching relationships and experiences, anticipating what’s next on the journey. Reality is that the pace and intensity of change for most of the year encourage a lot of “doing.” These few weeks offer us respite – and time for…
Four Lessons Startups Can Find In Big Companies
It is not hard to beat up on big companies when it comes to innovation — and I’ve got plenty of proof, after two decades as one of those people delivering change from the inside of tough, conservative, regulated businesses. Big companies are bureaucratic. They are slow and complex. They get bogged down in how-things-have-always-been-…
Is Your Next Innovation Underfunded?
One afternoon on the eve of the Great Recession, I was a panelist at an innovation and design event in New York City. The timing was ironic, to say the least. I can still remember the climate of doom that day and throughout Fall 2007. There was lots of whispering in the hallways of Corporate…
Purpose Is Your Innovation Catapult
Innovators who embrace the role of purpose in their work stand a greater shot at success. Having a belief stemming from a real problem that you passionately want to solve says, “I see something that needs to change, and I am going to change it.” Aligning your core belief to a real problem sets the…
How to Discover Your Next Big Growth Idea
We are well into 2019. Personal resolutions, professional goals, and business targets have by now been drafted if not established. Top on the list is the perennial priority: to find the ideas that can morph into new sources of innovation and growth, and then make them real. How do you come up with these ideas?…
Anticipate, Adapt, Listen
The week’s big NYC headline was Amazon’s decision to establish a Queens headquarters. What a difference a decade makes. During my days as a Long Island City-based Citibanker, friends saw being based there as a form of exile, even though the views were (and still are) are far superior to those of anyone working in…
The Return to Purpose-Driven Business Models: Spotlight on Insurance
Any leader in any company who sees a future for their business and career is feeling the pressure to innovate, find new ideas and business models, and create enduring client value that adds to the bottom line and strengthens the balance sheet. There is no one formula or set process to find and execute the…
CMOs Behind the Eight Ball
Recently I was a panelist at How Marketers Drive Growth – sponsored by Forbes, along with TD Ameritrade CMO Denise Karkos, Tableau CMO Elissa Fink, Sprinklr President and COO Carlos Dominguez and Head of Forbes CMO Practice Bruce Rogers. We talked strategies to solve CMOs’ quest: proving marketing ROI. This precious goal is proving to…
Amy is a leader who is demanding and relentless in the pursuit of the great.
In The Change Maker’s Playbook she shares her philosophy and methods to transform ‘out-there’ ideas into new real world business models that can change businesses’ growth trajectories and how brands engage with their customers.
Kahina Van Dyke
Global Head, Digital Channels & Client Data Analytics; Standard Chartered Bank Board Member, Progressive Insurance