Business

I had a brand who said to me 'You shouldn't name your book wonderhell, nobody is going to buy a book they don't know what the word on the front cover means', and I replied, anybody who's in wonderhell will know what that word means the second they see the word.

I spent 20 years in executive search, and I was hired by my clients to call 'the most successful people' in the world. Bold face names in bold face organisations. However it wasn't that hard, because despite all the success, which is why I was calling them, they were not very happy which is why they were calling me back.

We needed to shift the media economy off a dependence on online advertising, and we needed to change who the customer is. Both things are possible with paid subscriptions because it's trust rather than content that gets monetised.

What was broken in journalism was not a lack of demand for good stories nor a lack of journalists or the format of stories and distribution – the thing that was broken was the business model.

The things that get rewarded in those systems are things that provoke, divide and drive outrage – so we end up with a broken media economy that drives us all crazy and doesn't represent the best version of ourselves – that doesn't help us come to a common understanding of truth.

Most great sellers and leaders figure out the things they love about their job – what they would do for free – and set up the infrastructure to intentionally avoid the parts that force them to show up inauthentically.

People don't gravitate towards perfection. People like people like themselves. And that's another definition of 'selling,' when someone can see themselves in you.

Any time you are trying to influence somebody or get them to make a decision that's good for them you are selling. Whether you're selling a product, whether you're selling an idea, whether you're selling your child on whether they should eat their vegetables.

Inventor of the Steadicam camera stabilization system

Selling is about creating agency in the people that you are talking to so that they feel like they are part of the decision-making process. Selling is wanting to ask questions that you really want to know the answers to. Not ones that you have to ask.

We have lived through an era where success has been defined only in financial terms- leaving out any consideration of the impact of business on communities or the world. Just because accounting standards don't require you to measure certain things, doesn't mean those things aren't real.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

Most of the venture backed businesses, and venture capital firms, are a mirror-tocracy not a meritocracy! Senior executives are disproportionately drawn from a narrow stratum of society – in the US, this means Ivy-League Schools such as Stanford. They tend to be overwhelmingly white (and increasingly now Asian) but certainly overwhelmingly male.

Founder of Lotus Software & Digital Rights Pioneer

Remember, no one views themselves as unethical. This is why it's crucial to construct categories that people can identify with. If we, as organizations, continue to treat ethics and compliance training as a mere box to be checked off, individuals will never see themselves in these scenarios.

Forensic Accountant & Professor; Expert on Corporate Fraud and Whistleblowing

If you're loosening the controls you've established simply because this person's exceptional skills or accomplishments bring you pleasure, you're encountering your first significant red flag. It's a major one that shouldn't be ignored.

Forensic Accountant & Professor; Expert on Corporate Fraud and Whistleblowing

The accidental perpetrator is a team player. Their involvement in misconduct isn't driven by personal greed, but could result from simply following orders from higher-ups, a commitment to their team, or an unwavering loyalty to a CEO or CFO. However, such blind obedience could inadvertently lead to involvement in fraudulent activities.

Forensic Accountant & Professor; Expert on Corporate Fraud and Whistleblowing

There are individuals within organizations who seem untouchable, be they extraordinarily successful salespeople or powerhouse CEOs. These individuals often appear to be above the rules, even above the law. They're given latitude due to the exceptional value they bring to the organization.

Forensic Accountant & Professor; Expert on Corporate Fraud and Whistleblowing

The conversation I want us to have is, 'This could be any one of us.' Frequently, when we point out 'them', we're referring to the corporate, narcissistic, aggressive, high-achievers, often the deliberate culprits. Their stories pervade our movies and crime podcasts, enabling us to distance ourselves because we can't necessarily identify with their actions.

Forensic Accountant & Professor; Expert on Corporate Fraud and Whistleblowing