I am in the final throes of getting ready for the World Economic Forum, which takes place this week in Switzerland. I have never attended before and some of the famous people on the list are rather daunting. There will be sessions involving world leaders like David Cameron from the UK, Angela Merkel of Germany, Bill Clinton from the U.S., lots of CEOs including Google's Larry Page to Heinken's Jean-François van Boxmeer, and a session by "miracle on the Hudson" pilot Sulley Sullenberg. You can read about it here in the The New York Times, which has a wonderfully cynical opening paragraph.
I am among the many academics invited and will be participating in three sessions. First, I am moderating a session on design thinking and business, which should be interesting as it is becoming ingrained in the positions and practices of so many organizations now. Second, I am participating in a session on what leaders of the present can learn from leaders of the past. Third, I give a talk on "the no jerk rule." The WEF is sufficiently respectable that the organizers thought it was best to refrain from using the world "asshole" in the title. But I plan to use it a few times in the talk, although perhaps fewer times than usual. In addition to the sessions I am part of, I am going to focus on learning about scaling, my current primary project, as several sessions focus on the topic and there will be a lot of people there who have a lot of experience with this challenge.
The place is just buzzing with interesting people and sessions, but I have been warned by the people who run the event and by experienced participants like IDEO CEO Tim Brown to pace myself as it can get overwhelming. They also have warned me to bring warm clothes and good snow boots as it is a ski resort.
I will do some tweeting and blogging. I don't know quite how much, as I expect I will be busy and distracted. But let me know if there is anything you are especially interested in hearing about, and I will try to address it.
There will be sessions involving world leaders like David Cameron from the UK, Angela Merkel of Germany, Bill Clinton from the U.S., lots of CEOs including Google's Larry Page to Heineken's.
Posted by: Gaston Cantens | March 14, 2011 at 02:31 AM
I have actually already seen that video! Because I know of the work by Matt and Gail Taylor. They also use the phrase “group genius” in their work.
Posted by: Gaston Cantens | March 08, 2011 at 12:16 AM
Leaders in business, politics and academia from around the world will gather in Davos, Switzerland, this week to try to rescue the planet.
Posted by: Danny DeMichele Entrepreneur | February 07, 2011 at 03:17 AM
How did it go Bob? Looking forward to your report :)
Posted by: Amy Wilson | February 03, 2011 at 11:27 AM
Hey, where are the Davos updates? I almost sent a cautionary response when I first saw your post but Joel seemed to cover the pessimist point of view.
We in Ontario Canada remember well our first NDP (read 'left-wing')Premier, Bob Rae, who also visited Davos and returned more conservative than the bums we threw out of office. The NDP have never been re-elected and Bob Rae struggles to maintain a pressence on the federal stage but will never be leader as he will never again get elected in Ontario.
Having any major conversions of thought?
From a fan who hopes not.
Colin Ferguson
Posted by: Colin Ferguson | February 03, 2011 at 06:07 AM