Disruptive Leadership

http://www.disruptiveleadership.com

Disruptive Leadership is a weblog offering news, thoughts, comments, opinions and more on growing for-profit technology businesses in emerging markets (China, India, etc.) Being successful requires a very different approach … strategies and techniques that change the game, overturn the status quo, and ultimately make the biggest possible impact. I summarize this approach as “disruptive” … disruptive innovation, disruptive marketing, and ultimately, disruptive leadership.

I did this for more than 10 years and loved it. But doing it is hard, very hard. There are more failures than successes. I failed and succeeded. I’ve observed other companies, groups and individuals do the same. You learn when you do both. Hopefully that qualifies me to have credible opinions on the subject.

Disruptive leadership is a concept that I borrow with pride from the theory of disruptive innovation put forth by Clayton Christensen in his seminal book The Innovator’s Dilemma and the even-better sequel The Innovator’s Solution. I believe disruptive leadership captures the essence of what it takes to be successful as a business leader trying to crack the secret formula of growing in very dynamic emerging markets.

I didn’t invent the term “disruptive leadership.” Just Google the term and you’ll find interesting articles, like this one and that one.

Disruptive leadership could apply to so many concepts, but I plan to focus on market, business and product development for growing successful “for-profit” technology businesses in emerging markets.

Notice the highlight I put on “for-profit.” Why? Because so many blogs, online communities, companies, and organizations are trying to close the digital divide and improve lives. Social ventures and entrepreneurs are becoming even more prevalent than ever. But there is very few talking about how to grow a sustainable, profitable technology business. NextBillion.net and VitalWave consulting are two examples.

I am also an unabashed capitalist if the appropriate regulations are in place to protect the environment, intellectual property, workers rights, etc. I believe that a vibrant, competitive and OPEN economy allows companies to grow, attract capital, and re-invest profits for more growth and innovation. I believe this does more good than harm. Look at the obvious successes of China and India as they grow their economies and middle classes.

Does capitalism solve all societal ills? No. Does it create some income disparities? Yes.

But this is not the place to debate the pros/cons of globalization and capitalism in developing countries. Plenty of other sites and forums to do that.

So, please read, comment and participate. Hopefully you will learn something new, or teach me something I don’t know.

• Added on: Oct 6th, 2008
• Country: United States
• Language: English

• Author: Mark Beckford
• Listed in: Emerging Markets Technology
• Tags: Career channels Strategy leadership international emerging markets