Creating Blue Oceans

BlackBerry's waning Infatuation Interval™

The writing has been written on the wall for quite some time now. In fact, back in June Gabor wrote an article for Mashable entitled “Blackberry: how our infatuation waned,” which issued warnings for BlackBerry and its waning Infatuation Interval™. Now, looking for a blue ocean strategy-like solution—and one that reminds us of pages from the Kodak playbook—some investors now believe that the best way forward for BlackBerry just might be to jettison its core business.  

Via Reuters:

It might seem like corporate heresy but an increasing number of technology investors and experts are asking whether Research in Motion needs to ditch its BlackBerry handset business to survive.

The idea that is gaining favor, albeit only among a minority of shareholders, would see the Canadian company fully open its secure and highly respected network to rival smartphone providers and concentrate on that business while getting out of the hardware game altogether through a sale.

[Image via brothersoft.]

Creative disrupters

There is a growing recognition that creativity is a vital component for successfully handling unexpected, unprecedented and rapidly changing surroundings. As an example, the Bloomberg Businessweek article “What Chief Executives Really Want,” in May 2010, noted: “According to a new survey of 1,500 chief executives conducted by IBM’s Institute for Business Value, CEOs identify ‘creativity’ as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future.” 

In its How to Lead a Creative Life series, Fast Company shares the thought-provoking, inspiring stories of bold business leaders like Maryam Banikarim, SVP and CMO, Gannet, who are defying conventional wisdom in order to realize their creative visions.  You can access the recent article entitled “The Disruptors” here.

With creativity now thrust to the forefront of vital leadership qualities, how can you fully embrace it? How can you tap into your personal reservoir of resourceful thinking? It’s all at your fingertips in Gabor’s book Slingshot: Re-Imagine Your Business, Re-Imagine Your Life. 

[Image via Do Good Lab.]

When infatuation tips towards fanaticism

While there is no such thing as a perfectly and continuously satisfied customer, there is such a thing as an infatuated one. But what happens when one’s infatuation goes overboard and tips towards fanaticism? A story from the recent USA post-Thanksgiving popular shopping day, Black Friday, gives us some insight.

Via Yahoo!:

A woman trying to improve her chance to buy cheap electronics at a Walmart in a wealthy suburb spewed pepper spray on a crowd of shoppers and 20 people suffered minor injuries, police said Friday. 

The attack took place about 10:20 p.m. Thursday shortly after doors opened for the sale at the Walmart in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley.

The store had brought out a crate of discounted Xbox video game players, and a crowd had formed to wait for the unwrapping, when the woman began spraying people "in order to get an advantage," police Sgt. Jose Valle said.

Besides a business sparking infatuation, can an infatuation give birth to a substantial business? Find out in Gabor’s book Slingshot: Re-Imagine Your Business, Re-Imagine Your Life.

[Image via Google Images.]

The world is a playground: Dr. Stuart L. Brown chats with Gabor

Play. It shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul. Tune in today to Gabor’s exciting conversation with Dr. Stuart L Brown, who is dedicated to uncovering and enabling the essential contributions of play to human development. Author of the recently released book PLAY, Dr. Brown has accumulated the play histories of 6000 individuals from all walks of life and varied cultures, which has affirmed the importance and need for healthy play throughout the human life cycle. 

How do you incorporate play into your business and personal life? Share your story with us via Twitter (@SlingshotLiving).