Diplomacy and Innovation: Lessons from the Itamaraty Palace on Global Business Success
This week, I had the honor of accompanying a South African business delegation at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília during the official visit of the South African President to meet with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Watching the gears of international diplomacy turn is a powerful reminder for any business leader: Diplomacy opens doors, […]
How to Create an Innovative Mindset: Clearing the “Archaic Furniture” from Your Leadership
We often hear that Operational Excellence is the key to success. It is a philosophy of ongoing improvement, but in practice, it often becomes a trap of “doing things cheaper”. While cost-cutting keeps you profitable today, it won’t save you tomorrow. Remember: the light bulb wasn’t invented by continuously improving the candle. In any healthy […]
Why Operational Excellence Will Kill Your Company (and How to Survive)
Every large organization is focused on Operational Excellence—the relentless pursuit of doing things better and cheaper to improve today’s profits. As an economist and strategic advisor, I understand the value of this. Operational excellence generates your profits today. But here is the hard truth: In the long run, you cannot survive by just doing the […]
Innovative Projects: How to Master Your “Opportunity Space” and Persuade Leadership
Many leaders and managers from those starting their careers to seasoned executives aged 55 to 65 ask me the same question: “I want a new challenge, but I don’t know my options. How do I understand what is possible before I decide where to go?” As a Strategic Advisor, I see this as the search […]
How to Integrate Innovation into Your Daily Leadership Routine
Leaders often ask me: “Alan, how do I stay ahead of the curve while managing the daily fire drill?” Innovation shouldn’t be a one-off event or a “future-day” at the office. It must be a managed discipline integrated into your daily habits. Just like a daily stand-up, thinking about the future is a strategic mandate. […]
Digital Innovation Processes: Why Virtual Collaboration is the New Standard for Leadership
Every year on April 21st, the UN World Creativity and Innovation Day aims to make innovation more visible. To mark this occasion, I’ve shared concrete strategies for driving innovation within organizations—strategies that go beyond theory and focus on structured execution. Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a series of collaborative sessions focused on how […]
4 Lessons my early career taught me about Strategy and Innovation Management
My journey into the world of strategic command wasn’t born in a creative lab; it was forged through years of technical discipline and the demanding environments of international management. Balancing a rigorous technical education while working in high-pressure roles taught me that innovation is a project of precision, not luck. Looking back at my role […]