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May 17, 2021 Motivation and Coaching

Get Happy, Dammit: Find Inspiration and Motivation With Local Author Katherine Gotthardt – Prince William Living

By Erin Pittman

If you’ve found yourself spending more time with books in 2020, local author Katherine Gotthardt has published one to add to your reading pile — and one that provides more than just a simple escape from daily life. For those feeling stagnant at home or work and lacking motivation and inspiration in their career,
she offers tips, exercises and creative pieces to help readers find the happiness they’re searching for.

Get Happy, Dammit — Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World packs a punch with easy-to-read chapters that include insights, exercises and poetry, all designed to build inspiration and motivation, two elements necessary for happiness, according to Gotthardt. The book offers philosophy, psychology and practical applications that Gotthardt says stem from ideas she used in the classroom and daily living. Many of the exercises lean heavily on writing.

“From teaching and from doing a lot of work in my own life, I know how important inspiration and motivation are and how they can lead to greater happiness. I wanted to share what I’ve learned and help as many people as possible,” she said.

The Contents “At Work”

Gotthardt explains she wrote Get Happy Dammit because in the past, she had encountered too many unhappy people in a few different workplaces. She found herself scratching her head and wondering how such successful professionals could be so miserable. What was wrong? Was it the environment? Life circumstances? Attitude? What were these people not getting from work that they needed?

“These were high-performing folks who, in spite of their successes, just seemed like they were trudging through the days without any purpose. They were down. They hated their jobs. They hated the routine. They said outright that they were not inspired or motivated. It was disconcerting. But it made me think about times when I was down, what I had to do to get out of it, and it encouraged me to get writing about ways to improve quality of life,” she said.

Gotthardt has been asked why a book was her answer.

“First, I have a passion for writing. Second, if I can help others by using my passion, everyone wins. Third, by telling the world my truth, I was able to celebrate myself, my life and the people who have helped me along the way,” she said.

Once the book came out, Gotthardt did something she rarely does after publishing. She went back and reread the chapters.

“Mostly, I did this to prep for a discussion group, but in reexamining what I’d written, I realized that not only had I addressed some barriers to staying inspired, two ingredients for happiness in life, but also, I had uncovered what really made me happy at work, beyond a good salary and benefits,” she said.

The book features a chapter titled “Rediscovering Your Core” all about core values, looking at personal beliefs and who we are or want to be based on those beliefs. Wrapped into these beliefs are things we think we need — core needs.

“I recognized that for many people, myself included, work can become an exercise in negativity if we are unable to have one or more core needs met. Beyond receiving a living wage, many of us need the ability to follow our passions, align with the organization’s mission and celebrate authenticity,” she said.

Within the book, readers will find deeper exploration of each of those three areas and explanations of why they are important and how they are intertwined. For example, Gotthardt says if we can follow our passions, we work harder, which helps the overall mission. If we can practice authenticity, we can better articulate our passions and use our talents to help make a meaningful impact through the organization.

“Not everything we do at work will be motivating or inspiring, and it can take a lot of energy to get where we want to be mentally, emotionally and professionally,” Gotthardt said. “But that does not mean we should settle for being chronically unhappy. The key is to keep thinking about what motivates and inspires us and how we can get our core needs met.”

Gotthardt encourages everyone to keep sorting through the complexities and exploring new ways of looking at things. “Then when someone asks, ‘Why do you do what you do at work?’ you can smile and say, ‘I’d be happy to tell you,’” she said.

Who Is Katherine Gotthardt?

Gotthardt considers herself a writer by nature and by trade, having begun writing for fun as soon as her mother helped teach her to read. Originally from Massachusetts, she completed her Master’s in Education with a writing concentration at Cambridge College.

She moved to Colorado Springs for 18 months, then to Northern Virginia. She is the current president and a founding member of Write by the Rails, the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. She has been a Prince William County Poet Laureate nominee and was the winner of InsideNoVa’s 2019 and 2020
Best of Prince William award in the author category. In 2020, she won the Loudoun County Library Foundation’s first place award for free verse in their annual Rhyme On poetry contest. Then she took home another award in 2020 — the Prince William Arts Council and Poet Laureate Circle trophy for Outstanding
Poetry Project of the Year. This award is given to a Poet Laureate nominee for completing extensive community work in the literary arts, which Gotthardt did by spearheading Write by the Rails’ Poetry Around Town area poetry installation.

Besides being published in dozens of journals and anthologies,cGotthardt has authored books for adults and children, includingcPoems from the Battlefield, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World,cApproaching Felonias Park, Weaker Than Water, Bury Me Underca Lilac, Late April and the Amazon best seller, A Crane Named
Steve.

Gotthardt is a full-time marketing writer for an IT company. In her freelance life, when she is not practicing her creative writing, she writes for Prince William Living.

Visit KatherineGotthardt.com to learn more about her work. To purchase a signed copy of Get Happy Dammit — Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World, visit GetHappyDammit.com.

Erin Pittman is Editor in Chief of Prince William Living. She’s been a writer for more than 10 years, but a lover of words her entire life. In these colder months, you’ll find her snuggled up with her yellow Lab, Wilson, desperately trying to finish reading the latest best-seller while hiding from the demands of her three (wonderful) children. Reach her at [email protected].

May 17, 2021 Juan Rodulfo Books

Raimon: “Hay una parte de la sociedad que aún llora la dictadura” – EL PAÍS

Este hombre que está al teléfono publicó hace cuarenta años un diario en el que se puede leer: “(…) dejar las cosas para otro momento, pero ¿qué otro momento, si ya tengo cuarenta años? (…). El azar de cumplir años, cuando el calendario se acaba y obliga a hacer balance de lo que soy, de lo que hago y de lo que no hago”. Es Raimon Pelegero (Xàtiva, 1940), cuya primera canción, Al vent (1963) …

Inicia sesión para seguir leyendo

Sólo con tener una cuenta ya puedes leer este artículo, es gratis

Gracias por leer EL PAÍS

May 17, 2021 Cryptocurrencies News

What Is Cryptocurrency? – Forbes

Cryptocurrency is decentralized digital money, based on blockchain technology. You may be familiar with the most popular versions, Bitcoin and Ethereum, but there are more than 5,000 different cryptocurrencies in circulation, according to CoinLore.

You can use crypto to buy regular goods and services, although many people invest in cryptocurrencies as they would in other assets, like stocks or precious metals. While cryptocurrency is a novel and exciting asset class, purchasing it can be risky as you must take on a fair amount of research to fully understand how each system works.

How Does Cryptocurrency Work?

A cryptocurrency is a medium of exchange that is digital, encrypted and decentralized. Unlike the U.S. Dollar or the Euro, there is no central authority that manages and maintains the value of a cryptocurrency. Instead, these tasks are broadly distributed among a cryptocurrency’s users via the internet.

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, first outlined in principle by Satoshi Nakamoto in a 2008 paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” Nakamoto described the project as “an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust.”

That cryptographic proof comes in the form of transactions that are verified and recorded in a form of program called a blockchain.

What Is a Blockchain?

A blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that records transactions in code. In practice, it’s a little like a checkbook that’s distributed across countless computers around the world. Transactions are recorded in “blocks” that are then linked together on a “chain” of previous cryptocurrency transactions.

“Imagine a book where you write down everything you spend money on each day,” says Buchi Okoro, CEO and co-founder of African cryptocurrency exchange Quidax. “Each page is similar to a block, and the entire book, a group of pages, is a blockchain.”

With a blockchain, everyone who uses a cryptocurrency has their own copy of this book to create a unified transaction record. Software logs each new transaction as it happens, and every copy of the blockchain is updated simultaneously with the new information, keeping all records identical and accurate.

To prevent fraud, each transaction is checked using one of two main validation techniques: proof of work or proof of stake.

Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake

Proof of work and proof of stake are two different validation techniques used to verify transactions before they’re added to a blockchain that reward verifiers with more cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies typically use either proof of work or proof of stake to verify transactions.

Proof of work. “Proof of work is a method of verifying transactions on a blockchain in which an algorithm provides a mathematical problem that computers race to solve,” says Simon Oxenham, social media manager at Xcoins.com.

Each participating computer, often referred to as a “miner,” solves a mathematical puzzle that helps verify a group of transactions—referred to as a block—then adds them to the blockchain leger. The first computer to do so successfully is rewarded with a small amount of cryptocurrency for its efforts.

This race to solve blockchain puzzles can require an intense amount of computer power and electricity. In practice, that means the miners might barely break even with the crypto they receive for validating transactions, after considering the costs of power and computing resources.

Proof of stake. To reduce the amount of power necessary to check transactions, some cryptocurrencies use a proof of stake verification method. With proof of stake, the number of transactions each person can verify is limited by the amount of cryptocurrency they’re willing to “stake,” or temporarily lock up in a communal safe, for the chance to participate in the process. “It’s almost like bank collateral,” says Okoro. Each person who stakes crypto is eligible to verify transactions, but the odds you’ll be chosen to do so increase with the amount you front.

“Because proof of stake removes energy-intensive equation solving, it’s much more efficient than proof of work, allowing for faster verification/confirmation times for transactions,” says Anton Altement, CEO of Osom Finance.

If a stake owner (sometimes called a validator) is chosen to validate a new group of transactions, they’ll be rewarded with cryptocurrency, potentially in the amount of aggregate transaction fees from the block of transactions. To discourage fraud, if you are chosen and verify invalid transactions, you forfeit a part of what you staked.

The Role of Consensus in Crypto

Both proof of stake and proof of work rely on consensus mechanisms to verify transactions. This means while each uses individual users to verify transactions, each verified transaction must be checked and approved by the majority of ledger holders.

For example, a hacker couldn’t alter the blockchain ledger unless they successfully got at least 51% of the ledgers to match their fraudulent version. The amount of resources necessary to do this makes fraud unlikely.

How Can You Mine Cryptocurrency?

Mining is how new units of cryptocurrency are released into the world, generally in exchange for validating transactions. While it’s theoretically possible for the average person to mine cryptocurrency, it’s increasingly difficult in proof of work systems, like Bitcoin.

“As the Bitcoin network grows, it gets more complicated, and more processing power is required,” says Spencer Montgomery, founder of Uinta Crypto Consulting. “The average consumer used to be able to do this, but now it’s just too expensive. There are too many people who have optimized their equipment and technology to outcompete.”

And remember: Proof of work cryptocurrencies require huge amounts of energy to mine. It’s estimated that 0.21% of all of the world’s electricity goes to powering Bitcoin farms. That’s roughly the same amount of power Switzerland uses in a year. It’s estimated most Bitcoin miners end up using 60% to 80% of what they earn from mining to cover electricity costs.

While it’s impractical for the average person to earn crypto by mining in a proof of work system, the proof of stake model requires less in the way of high-powered computing as validators are chosen at random based on the amount they stake. It does, however, require that you already own a cryptocurrency to participate. (If you have no crypto, you have nothing to stake.)

How Can You Use Cryptocurrency?

You can use cryptocurrency to make purchases, but it’s not a form of payment with mainstream acceptance quite yet. A handful of online retailers like Overstock.com accept Bitcoin, it’s far from the norm. This may change in the near future, however. Payments giant PayPal recently announced the launch of a new service that will allow customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency from their PayPal accounts.

“That’s huge,” Montgomery says. “If PayPal was considered a bank, they’d be the 21st largest bank in the world, and they are giving access to all of their users. They’re going to make it easy for people to send their crypto.”

Until crypto is more widely accepted, you can work around current limitations by exchanging cryptocurrency for gift cards. At eGifter, for instance, you can use Bitcoin to buy gift cards for Dunkin Donuts, Target, Apple and select other retailers and restaurants. You may also be able to load cryptocurrency to a debit card to make purchases. In the U.S., you can sign up for the BitPay card, a debit card that converts crypto assets into dollars for purchase, but there are fees involved to order the card and use it for ATM withdrawals, for example.

You may also use crypto as an alternative investment option outside of stocks and bonds. “The best-known crypto, Bitcoin, is a secure, decentralized currency that has become a store of value like gold,” says David Zeiler, a cryptocurrency expert and associate editor for financial news site Money Morning. “Some people even refer to it as ‘digital gold.’”

How to Use Cryptocurrency for Secure Purchases

Using crypto to securely make purchases depends on what you’re trying to buy. If you’d like to spend cryptocurrency at a retailer that doesn’t accept it directly, you can use a cryptocurrency debit card, like BitPay, in the U.S.

If you’re trying to pay a person or retailer who accepts cryptocurrency, you’ll need a cryptocurrency wallet, which is a software program that interacts with the blockchain and allows users to send and receive cryptocurrency.

To transfer money from your wallet, you can scan the QR code of your recipient or enter their wallet address manually. Some services make this easier by allowing you to enter a phone number or select a contact from your phone. Keep in mind that transactions are not instantaneous as they must be validated using proof of work or proof of stake. Depending on the cryptocurrency, this may take between 10 minutes and two hours.

This lag time, though, is part of what makes crypto transactions secure. “A bad actor trying to alter a transaction won’t have the proper software ‘keys,’ which means the network will reject the transaction. The network also polices and prevents double spending,” Zeiler says.

How to Invest in Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency can be purchased on peer-to-peer networks and cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Coinbase and Bitfinex. Keep an eye out for fees, though, as some of these exchanges charge what can be prohibitively high costs on small crypto purchases. Coinbase, for instance, charges a fee of 0.5% of your purchase plus a flat fee of $0.99 to $2.99 depending on the size of your transaction.

More recently, the investing app Robinhood started offering the ability to buy several of the top cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin, without the fees of many of the major exchanges.

“It was once fairly difficult but now it’s relatively easy, even for crypto novices,” Zeiler says. “An exchange like Coinbase caters to non-technical folks. It’s very easy to set up an account there and link it to a bank account.”

But keep in mind that buying individual cryptocurrencies is a little like buying individual stocks. Since you’re putting all of your money into one security, you take on more risk than if you spread it out over hundreds or thousands, like you could with a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF). Unfortunately, crypto funds are currently in short supply.

There is a Bitcoin mutual fund—the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), but it is currently only open to accredited investors, meaning most Americans aren’t eligible to buy into it. There are no Bitcoin or crypto ETFs; however, there are blockchain ETFs.

If you want exposure to the crypto market, you might invest in individual stocks of crypto companies. “As far as crypto-oriented stocks go, Coinbase is expected to have an IPO sometime in 2021,” Zeiler says. “There are also a few Bitcoin mining stocks such as Hive Blockchain (HIVE). If you want some crypto exposure with less risk, you can invest in big companies that are adopting blockchain technology, such as IBM, Bank of America and Microsoft.”

Should You Invest in Cryptocurrency?

Experts hold mixed opinions about investing in cryptocurrency. Because crypto is a highly speculative investment, with the potential for intense price swings, some financial advisors don’t recommend people invest at all.

For example, while Bitcoin has nearly doubled in value over the last year, reaching a price of over $18,000 in November 2020, it’s also drastically lost value in the same year, like when it bottomed out at under $5,000 per Bitcoin. Even Bitcoin’s recent highs, however, are still lower than its 2017 peak of about $20,000 per Bitcoin. All of this is to say, cryptocurrencies, unlike most established currencies, can be very volatile and change value frequently.

That’s why Peter Palion, a certified financial planner (CFP) in East Norwich, N.Y., thinks it’s safer to stick to currency that’s backed by a government, like the U.S. dollar.

“If you have the U.S. dollar in your cash reserves, you know you can pay your mortgage, you can pay your electricity bill,” Palion says. “When you look at the last 12 months, Bitcoin looks basically like my last EKG, and the U.S. dollar index is more or less a flat line. Something that drops by 50% is not suitable for anything but speculation.”

That said, for clients who are specifically interested in cryptocurrency, CFP Ian Harvey helps them put some money into it. “The weight in a client’s portfolio should be large enough to feel meaningful while not derailing their long-term plan should the investment go to zero,” says Harvey.

As for how much to invest, Harvey talks to investors about what percentage of their portfolio they’re willing to lose if the investment goes south. “It could be 1% to 5%, it could be 10%,” he says. “It depends on how much they have now, and what’s really at stake for them, from a loss perspective.”

May 17, 2021 Juan Rodulfo Books

Octava condena a perpetua para torturador de dictadura argentina – FRANCE 24

Primera modificación: 03/12/2020 – 04:30

Buenos Aires (AFP)

El exsubjefe policial Miguel Etchecolatz, emblemático torturador de la dictadura argentina (1976-83), fue condenado este miércoles a cadena perpetua por secuestros, torturas y asesinatos, la octava pena de este tipo que recibe por crímenes de lesa humanidad.

Tras poco más de dos años de juicio, el Tribunal Federal Oral de La Plata condenó a Etchecolatz, de 91 años, y a otros 15 represores por 84 casos de secuestros, torturas y asesinatos en el centro clandestino de detención que funcionó en la Brigada de Investigaciones de San Justo, al oeste de la capital.

De las 84 víctimas cuyos casos contempló este juicio, 19 siguen desaparecidas.

Recibieron condenas 16 de los 17 acusados, entre los que había expolicías, exmilitares y un civil. Diez tuvieron penas de cárcel de por vida, entre ellos además de Etchecolatz, un médico policial, tres expolicías y cinco exmilitares y el exministro de Gobierno de la provincia de Buenos Aires en dictadura, el civil Jaime Lamont Smart.

Antes de escuchar la pena, Etchecolatz se puso de pie y mostró, colgado de su cuello, un cartel blanco con la leyenda: “Señor Jesús, si me condenan es por haber defendido tu causa”.

La audiencia se transmitió por el canal de youtube del Poder Judicial.

Etchecolatz fue director de Investigaciones de la policía de la provincia de Buenos Aires entre marzo de 1976 y fines de 1977 y tuvo a cargo 21 cárceles clandestinas que funcionaron en ese distrito, el más grande del país.

El exsubjefe policial está señalado también por la desaparición en 2006 de Julio López, un albañil de 77 años que fue testigo clave en un juicio en su contra. López, que ya había estado secuestrado bajo la dictadura, salió de su casa hacia tribunales y nunca llegó; jamás se supo qué pasó con él.

Quedó comprobado que la Brigada de San Justo fue además “un centro de apropiación y distribución de bebés y niños ya que en la brigada hubo detenidas desaparecidas embarazadas que dieron a luz en cautiverio y niños que permanecieron secuestrados con sus padres”, de acuerdo a un documento unificado de las querellas.

Unas 30.000 personas desaparecieron en la dictadura, según organismos de derechos humanos.

Se estima que unos 400 bebés fueron robados y apropiados (entregados en adopción ilegal), de los cuales 130 pudieron recuperar su identidad.

May 4, 2021 Business Management Articles

Changing Culture Is Central to Changing Business Models

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Culture is all-encompassing. It radiates through every action taken inside an organization — including deciding what is made and sold, which employees are hired and retained, which customers are serviced and how, what is measured and reported, and where time and money are invested.

However, while some leaders strive to create tomorrow’s cultural norms using advanced technologies, others resist cultural changes and stick to their knitting. The result is a growing chasm between winners and losers. For example, today’s trillion-dollar behemoths are all technology-based organizations that take advantage of mobile technology, data, multiple revenue streams, and AI strategies. They are led by leaders who want to change the world, while the companies that held the top spots of growth and value just two decades ago — banks, oil companies, real estate companies, and manufacturers — are paying the price for holding on to their historical cultural beliefs.

A good example of what’s at stake is the emergence of electric vehicles and Tesla’s rise to prominence as the most valuable car company in the world. In the companies that Tesla has surpassed, boards and leaders have resisted adapting to new cultural and technological realities. It’s not that the emerging cultural norms about the advantages of embracing modern business models have been unclear. It’s that while culture provides the foundation for organizational and industry stability, it is also the force that keeps leaders stuck in their old ways of conducting business. The takeaways from this story apply to every industry.

Leaders who are serious about creating the organizations of tomorrow have a simple choice: They can stay with the cultural norms that created their prior success, or they can do the hard work to change themselves to ensure success in the future. Today’s leaders need to take a personal journey to avoid the fate that has befallen companies such as Blockbuster, Kodak, Sears, and so many others, and it starts with three steps: examining personal values in order to redefine them, communicating the new values widely, and measuring what matters — the performance of the new initiatives and investments that are necessary.

While culture provides the foundation for organizational and industry stability, it is also the force that keeps leaders stuck in their old ways of conducting business.

Leaders: Change Yourself to Change Your Culture

Cultural norms are deeply held beliefs about the way an organization should work. These norms translate into different cultural products throughout the company, including values, customs, and traditions. Said differently, cultural norms define an organization as well as its sources of growth and value.

For example:

If leaders believe in manufacturing, they make things and measure units produced.
If leaders believe in services, they deliver support and measure hours billed.
If leaders believe in analytics and AI, they measure data collected and insights generated.

But new technologies — coupled with consumers’ changing wants and needs — disrupt legacy beliefs. Twenty years ago, most leaders would have said they believed that making things was more important than matching buyers and sellers. That core belief has been shaken to its core, of course, as subscription and marketplace models powered by data and AI began to fuel the most powerful companies in the world today — Amazon (with Prime and its massive supplier network), Apple (with its iOS developer community), Facebook (with its billions of users), and Google (with its search and matching algorithms). Further, external forces like the COVID-19 pandemic can accelerate the demise of traditionally held norms and make those who are best prepared for the future the winners of today (such as Zoom, Shopify, and Spotify).

Three Steps Toward Change

If leaders are itching to change their corporate culture and direction, we recommend that they first follow three steps to challenge their own biases:

Step 1: Leaders need to examine their thoughts and values in order to redefine them. Attempts to change an organization’s strategy, products, services, measurements, or reporting will be in vain if leaders don’t realize that cultural change is an inside job. Leaders have to change first.

Take Ford, for example. Along with other car manufacturers, Ford has finally decided to enter the electric car race. However, for Ford to catch Tesla, its leaders need to let go of the company’s rigid traditional management practices that made it successful. That’s the only way Ford will be able to compete for customers as other U.S. states join California in prohibiting the sale of internal combustion vehicles and, in so doing, create the new cultural norms for the industry. This is in stark contrast to the days when Henry Ford started his business and became the cultural trendsetter.

Before they look at their products, people, and processes, leaders have to better understand their own underlying attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. Only by challenging and changing core beliefs can leaders consistently act in ways that support a true business model transformation.

Step 2: Leaders need to communicate their new identity. Clearly defining the values that management and the board hold should help an organization create today’s newest business model: AI-powered digital platforms with multisided revenue models. Doing this requires that they discourage existing employees from keeping their heads down and proceeding with business as usual.

A stunning example is today’s colleges. For a long time, universities’ leaders resisted restructuring their business model — by sticking to a primarily on-premises structure despite its cost to students, limits on access, and restricted extensibility. COVID-19 is forcing a sea change: This fall, at least 65% of higher-learning institutions are holding classes completely or partly online, according to the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College. The astonishingly fast shift to digital classes will drive down the per-student cost of traditional instruction if it sticks as the pandemic wanes. Colleges and universities will need to rethink their identities and the new value they are proposing to justify their high price tags. This work should include examining how data and AI can be leveraged to reinvent the college experience.

Company employees, customers, investors, and lenders all need to understand a leader’s new belief system before they will be ready and willing to align their actions. Only by overcommunicating can leaders ensure that their new belief system is accepted and embraced.

Step 3: Leaders need to measure the impact of new cultural norms on the company’s performance. To truly transform, leaders must identify new key performance indicators that link to their company’s emerging new identity and track and report them. If you don’t measure it, you won’t manage it, nor will you value it. Leaders and boards that continue measuring the same things they have always measured and valued will end up with what they already have — a slow-moving legacy business. But if they do want change to stick, they will need to follow up with adjusted compensation and rewards.

For example, Blockbuster measured brick-and-mortar stores and individual video rentals, while Netflix measured and built subscriptions (first with a physical product and then, explosively, through a digital platform). John Antioco, former CEO of Blockbuster, recognized the importance of heavily investing in a digital platform. But at the first hint of unprofitability during this investment in the transformation of his company, the board and investors quickly reverted to their old beliefs about what creates value and where to allocate dollars, and Antioco was ousted. Within a few years, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy.

Leaders often fail to change what they measure, manage, and report, hoping that somehow those parts of the system will be OK while the rest of the organization changes. But the best thing leaders can do to change behaviors is to change what is measured, managed, and reported.

Change Your Leadership Culture — or Your Leaders

Organizational culture has a strong impact on the efforts of an organization trying to adopt big data, machine learning, and network-based business models to catch up with today’s leading companies. The reinforcing loop — culture — is the foundation of that race. If leaders truly want to derive meaningful business benefits from analytics and platform models, they must proactively address their own core identities before trying to introduce large-scale transformation initiatives.

Most leaders simply don’t want to put in the work and examine their core beliefs, and neither do their boards. The fear is that they will become destabilized. As a result, both leaders and boards make short-term decisions to remain aligned with legacy industry norms that in the long run lead to their demise. Consequently, sometimes the only way out is to replace leaders, including the board (and, potentially, investors, too).

To paraphrase famed U.S. baseball manager Yogi Berra: You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, let alone what you stand for. Otherwise you might not get there.