You Don't Know What I Am Going To Write About But You Will Read This Anyway
No.93
Monday 25 April
Hi, it's David here...
...Here in Australia for the first time in two and half years.
It took us 48 hours to get here instead of 24, because the plane had last minute technical issues as we were about to get on - which is always better than having them once you take off. Luggage was lost even before we left the country and we ended up going back home for a night, before we eventually got going the next day after taking new Covid tests.
Thankfully I, and everybody in the family, had taken the?Uncertainty Tolerance Test?while waiting to board the first time and we were all well and truly prepared for what was about to happen.
The test created by a group called the Uncertainty Experts gives you a clear assessment of your ability to react to change and the tools to change how you react in times of change (however don't stress yourself if it doesn’t).
I also spent a lot of time in airport bookshops browsing the shelves, looking for something that captured my attention, being shown interesting things to read by interested staff who had a captive audience.
It reminded me of an article I had just read in the?New York Times?about ‘How Barnes & Noble Went From Villain to Hero’?and the change the independent book industry has gone through recently.?The enormous chain, once a threat to the independents (and then as a result of Amazon, itself under threat), went back to page one of the manual empowering local stores to recommend what was locally relevant and as a result is now vital to the survival of an industry and doing well.
Adweek?wrote a piece last week on a talk given by Connie Braams at the WFA Conference in Athens where the ex CMO of Unilever talked about her excitement that?Unilever Doesn't Have a CMO Any More,?discussing why she is changing her role and stepping into a new position bridging online marketing and sales.
“We can now build brands and convert sales at the same time, so why would [we] artificially split that?” she explained.
It feels like the same vision that great marketers always had in the past but she went on to discuss the changes that are needed in the present in order to be fit for a future filled with Metaverse and Web 3.0.
The visionary and very successful investment firm Nfx runs a fantastic on-going content series on what it takes to succeed in the new world. In a recent video Morgan Beller, a general partner at Nfx discusses ‘The 5 New Leadership Skills of Great Web 3 Founders’.
Interestingly, looking back at the world from this side of the world gives you a very different perspective too.
On the one hand if you can slow down long enough, you can more clearly see the problems you face on a day to day basis.
And yet on the other hand, while sitting on a beach with an inspirational book in your hand, you start to imagine what the world would be like if there were no problems, just opportunities.
As always, curious to hear what you think.
David Alberts
Co-Founder at?BeenThereDoneThat
领英推荐
1.?Uncertainty Score
This test will give you a scientific assessment of your Uncertainty Tolerance and link you to resources to help you improve it.
2.?How Barnes Became Noble
Read Time: 10m
To independent booksellers, the enormous chain was once a threat. Now it’s vital to their survival. And it’s doing well.
3.?Unilever Doesn't Have a CMO Any More—Here’s Why
Read Time: 4m
Unilever’s Conny Braams is stepping into a new position bridging online marketing and sales.
4.?The 5 New Leadership Skills of Great Web3 Founders (Startup Mini-Series)
Watch Time: 5m
After talking to 100s of web3 Founders, we've repeatedly seen the most successful leaders demonstrate these 5 skills.
We'd love to hear what you thought about this newsletter! Reply in the comments below or reach out to us! To find out more about BeenThereDoneThat, connect with us on?LinkedIn?or visit our?Website. If you'd like to receive The School of Athens weekly newsletter on every Friday directly to your inbox, subscribe?here.