– Google figured it out, they are disrupting their own core business and they understand that the “era of search” as we used to know it, is coming to an end, and, that they are vulnerable for “disruption”. They have successfully been dividing their business and industries into various fields for some time now (Calico, Nest Labs, Google X, Google Fiber and numerous others through Google Capital and Google Ventures) and they continue to invest and do so and have moved from their ABC to “ALPHABET”.

We are reaching a tipping-point and moving with rapid pace toward technological singularity. According to futurist, Ray Kurzweil, we are only some twenty years away, and I personally am a strong believer of just this; there are many reasons and arguments supporting this theory.

We are again underestimating two core things that have always occurred throughout history: a) the law of acceleration and b) the skills and knowledge / opportunities of the next generation. As the cycles of history have repeated themselves time and time again, these two Inspired at the Pratharna Bhoomic (prayer ground), I sat down with a school class of 60 young children from Mumbai. It was amazing how, despite their age, I listened and learned and I became the student and they became the teacher.

In my childhood, I was captivated by the awe-inspiring phenomena of “Saltstraumen” and “Moskstraumen,” powerful vortexes near my mother's birthplace on the island of Værøy, in the Lofoten archipelago. These natural wonders, which I witnessed firsthand, have fueled the imaginations of artists and authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Walter Moers, and Jules Verne. In contemporary culture, echoes of such maelstroms resonate in the epic battles of Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean III."

Recently, I had the privilege of addressing 350 leading women in European business, a gathering that was as humbling as it was honorific. The assembly of such esteemed business leaders provided a unique vantage point from which to explore the future of leadership and the current business challenges.

The event was a hotbed of vibrant, open discussions, largely propelled by the diverse voices of women from various sectors. What struck me in these conversations was their intensity, often surpassing what I've observed at male-dominated summits. Many women shared their experiences of having to outperform their male counterparts to gain equal recognition and benefits. This sentiment echoes the words of Madeline Albright, who famously said, "There seems to be enough room in the world for mediocre men, but not for mediocre women, and we really have to work very, very hard."

Rethinking the Approach to Equality

"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune." - Amelia Earhart

Germany has recently made headlines by implementing a gender quota, mandating a 30% representation of women in leadership positions. This move is indeed significant and highlights the ongoing dialogue about gender equality. However, the effectiveness of such quotas in truly addressing gender disparities is debatable. Is being chosen for a role based on a quota genuinely desirable?Inspired at the Pratharna Bhoomic (prayer ground), I sat down with a school class of 60 young children from Mumbai. It was amazing how, despite their age, I listened and learned and I became the student and they became the teacher.

Business success and innovation emerge from a willingness to embrace failure. It's essential to cultivate a culture that views failure as a critical learning tool. Historically, all significant innovations have resulted from iterative processes that capitalize on numerous "mistakes" along the way. In contrast, many of today's organizations prioritize minimizing failure and adhering strictly to processes, which can stifle creative disruption. Apple, for instance, despite its outward appearance of perfection, has experienced its share of failures, such as the Apple Lisa, Macintosh Portable, Apple Newton MessagePad, Pippin, and the Apple USB Mouse. These examples underscore the importance of learning from failures.

If you visit the African savannahs, you will encounter acacia-dwelling ants, a species that not only repels tree-eating elephants but also plays a vital role in regulating carbon sequestration within those ecosystems. Similarly dynamic is the portrayal in John A. Davis's computer-animated movie "The Ant Bully," which is based on John Nickel's 1999 book. In this Warner Bros blockbuster, produced by Tom Hanks, the ant named Zoc explains the ants' philosophy: working for the colony's benefit allows them to achieve remarkable feats together. This concept bewilders little Lucas, a human character, who observes that most humans pursue personal gain, leaving Zoc puzzled about how humans manage to accomplish anything at all.

En route back to Norway for the holidays, an unexpected breakdown on the Autobahn left me stranded, awaiting the arrival of a tow truck, courtesy of ADAC—Germany's "yellow angels." This downtime, however, became an opportunity, thanks to LTE connectivity, allowing me to dive into Ray Kurzweil's riveting discourse on "Our Path to Singularity." Kurzweil, a visionary thinker, forecasts a future where hybrid thinking evolves into technological singularity—a juncture where artificial intelligence surpasses human intellect, challenging our sovereignty over technology.

I admit it, I actually visited McDonald’s today… twice.

First I went to a “regular” one here in Frankfurt and later, in the evening, my wife dragged me into another one, as she all of a sudden really wanted a ‘McD.´ This, however, was one of the “new” ones, and it was a different kind of experience. McDonald’s just announced bad financial results, and I wonder whether this has something to do with how they innovate at the front-line of customer service.  We had to take a number and were put on the „waiting list“. We could even watch a big screen that showed us where we were in the queue. Unhappily, it took 723 Seconds fo

THE ONE IDEA THAT CHANGES THE WORLD

In the realm of sports, a single innovative idea can redefine the boundaries of what's considered possible. This truth is vividly illustrated by the evolution of the ski jumping world record, which has seen remarkable progress over the decades. As of now, the record stands at an astonishing 246.5 meters, held by Johan Remen Evensen. The journey to this point, however, is a story of bold ideas and relentless pursuit of excellence, reminiscent of the transformative impact seen across various sports disciplines.