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With the Atlantic hurricane season underway and another record-hot summer ahead, corporate America is entering its most volatile stretch of the year. From tariffs to extreme weather, todays risks are hitting supply chains, markets, and investor confidence. The environment turns every natural or man-made crisis into a business liability. If youre a CEO, board member, or C-suite leader, this is your wake-up call and your moment to prepare. To help, we offer a warning of an emerging threat to be ready for: misinformation. Recent leadership shifts, political interference, and funding uncertainty have exposed cracks in the countrys crisis response infrastructure. If government systems cant keep up with the pace of crisis this year and beyond, businesses cant afford to wait. And misinformation cannot go unchecked or ignored. A new front has opened that plays out on the digital battlefield of public perception, where misinformation spreads faster than facts. Lies are sensational, loud, and sticky. The truth? Its often slower and more complexand yes, sometimes boring. That imbalance is where real damage happens. The New Crisis Reality In any crisiswhether a public health emergency, cyberattack, or natural disastercommunication is as vital as the response itself. In todays hyperpolarized landscape, weve already seen the consequences of misinformation, which offer a sobering preview of whats ahead. During the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, social media-fueled panic overshadowed official response efforts. In 2021s Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, misinformation triggered unnecessary fuel shortages across the eastern U.S. In Maui, conspiracy theories about the Lahaina wildfires spread faster than emergency warnings. During last falls Hurricanes Helene and Milton, disinformation delayed life-saving actions, disrupted coordination with cross-sector partners, and triggered real-world threats of violence against federal employees. And during the Los Angeles wildfires, AI images of the Hollywood sign engulfed in flames circulated widely online, further straining a community trying to recover. Misinformation isnt just accidental. Its being weaponized. Foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran actively exploit crises to deepen divisions, discredit institutions, and disrupt coordinated responses. We also see this challenge at home, where opportunists or inaccurate reporting are driven by ideology or self-interest to spread false narratives that lead to fear, confusion, and preventable missteps. In a crisis, these harmful tactics not only cloud reality but also actively undermine efforts to help people. Instead of leading through the crisis and mobilizing solutions, companies and government officials are forced into damage control and fighting falsehoods. For companies, false information can trigger stock market drops, supply chain delays, and public backlash. It can erode consumer confidence, spark boycotts, and force costly crisis response efforts that wouldnt otherwise be necessary. Fighting misinformation preemptively through systems, training, and partnerships isnt just good risk management. Its a direct investment in business continuity and brand resilience. And yes, it costs money. But the cost of doing nothing is often much higher. What Business Leaders Must Do Now Misinformation is more than a government problem. It affects every industryfrom energy and finance to retail and transportationand every size of business, from multinationals with global supply chains to small companies serving local communities. During catastrophic events like earthquakes, hurricanes, or cyberattacks, companies within disaster zones play a critical role in recovery. To lead effectively, they need the trust of employees, customers, and local communities. Misinformation undercuts that trust. And its not just during major disasters. In todays always-on information environment, false narratives can surface at any time and spread quickly. The more visible a company is, the more exposed it is to misinformation that can damage its reputation and its bottom line. Companies already recognize this risk, but the speed and scale of recent eventsduring wildfires, cyberattacks, and even routine service outagesshows that the landscape is evolving faster than most are prepared for. Many still lack the infrastructure or strategy to respond effectively. That means executive teams need to start preparing nownot after the fact. Heres how to get ahead of it: Adopt a trusted and battle-tested crisis framework The Federal Emergency Management Agencys Emergency Support Function #15 (ESF-15) is part of the National Response Framework, the federal playbook for how government coordinates during disasters. ESF-15 focuses specifically on external affairshow agencies manage public messaging, media relations, and stakeholder engagement under pressure. Companies can adapt key elements by clearly assigning communication roles, syncing messaging strategies across departments and with external partners, and preparing to respond quickly when false narratives start to spiral. It offers a way to operationalize the response to misinformation by focusing first on delivering accurate, life-safety information to the publicbefore becoming consumed by brand reputation concerns. Conduct high-stakes crisis simulations Most companies run drills for natural disasters or data breaches, but few test how theyd respond to viral misinformation. False narratives can spread faster than the facts, especially during high-stress events. If you havent practiced for that, youre not prepared. A strong simulation replicates how misinformation unfolds through a misleading social media post gaining traction, a fake image circulating, or a rumor targeting your product or executives. From there, teams must react in real timevalidating facts, aligning internal and external messaging, and deciding when and how to respond publicly. Run these scenarios with your full crisis team, including communications, legal, HR, and operations. Dont underestimate the value of having your companys executive team or board in the room. Use realistic conditions like time pressure, incomplete information, and conflicting stakeholder needs. And most importantly, build i consequences. Did the company overreact and make it worse? Did it wait too long to correct the record? These are the dynamics leaders must experience before the real thing hits. Establish public-private resilience networks In a crisis, coordination cant start from scratch. Companies in critical sectors like energy, telecom, and water need standing relationships with local, state, and regional response partners. Even as FEMAs future role becomes increasingly uncertain under the current administration, local and state emergency managers remain vital anchors in disaster response. Companies should identify their regional emergency management agencies and build relationships with leadership, external affairs, joint information centers, and recovery coordinators. Many cities and states already run public-private working groups and emergency operations centers where businesses can participate directly during response and recovery efforts. The goal is to align earlyon messaging, resource coordination, and community needs. When companies and local officials are already connected, theyre in a stronger position to counter confusion, support vulnerable populations, and help stabilize recovery. If federal coordination weakens as many suspect it will under current leadership, these local and state-level partnerships become even more essential. Diversify communication channels Misinformation doesnt wait for a natural disaster. It can spread during a product recall, a service outage, a viral rumor, or in the middle of a major storm. In any of these cases, relying on a single communication channel is a risk. If your website crashes, social media is flooded, or email deliverability drops, how will you reach the people who matter most? Companies already go to extraordinary lengths to get the word out when things go right. They’ll build multi-platform campaigns to sell a new streaming subscription, launch a product drop with a celebrity brand ambassador, or drive demand through social media content for the latest pair of Jordansensuring the message sticks, spreads, and leads to action. That same level of effort is needed when things go wrong. A layered strategy is key. Use tools you control, like text messages to customers, in-app notifications, email, and internal platforms like Slack. Back that up with special hotlines, direct outreach from managers, and even packaging inserts. Traditional and local news outlets are essential, but so is engaging with digital creators who have built trusted online communities of their own. These are the same channels companies already use to drive sales or launch productsnow they need to be ready to correct the record when things go sideways. For businesses with physical locations, point-of-sale signage or handouts can help reinforce the right message. And when systems go down, low-tech options like printed flyers, AM radio, or employee word of mouth may be the most effective of all. Whether its a brand crisis or a major emergency, the goal is the same: Make sure the right message gets to the right people at the right timeclearly, quickly, and through whatever channels are still standing. The Cost of Inaction Businesses that fail to adapt arent just falling behindtheyre exposing people, assets, and long-term viability to growing risk. Public experts and former officials have warned that our national disaster response systems are being hollowed out. The ongoing dismantling of FEMAs leadership and staffing, along with the rollback of coordination functions across federal agencies, is weakening both our emergency response and our broader national security posture. At the same time, the misinformation landscape is only getting more volatile. Bad actors are more sophisticated, AI is lowering the barrier to entry, and fewer trusted messengers remain in place to cut through the noise. Preparedness is no longer a best practiceits a market imperative. In the next crisis, it wont be the truth that drives action. Itll be whatever people hear first and believe fastest. But theres power in what companies do next. Trusted brands, clear communicators, and credible institutions have a unique role to playnot just in protecting their reputation, but in helping the public navigate uncertainty, especially right now. When businesses lead with clarity and humanity, they not only survive the next crisis, they also help shape a stronger, more resilient economy for everyone. And isnt that the clearest measure of brand strength todaynot just being known, but being believed when it matters most?
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E-Commerce
The Gartner Hype Cycle is a valuable framework for understanding where an emerging technology stands on its journey into the mainstream. It helps chart public perception, from the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” through the “Trough of Disillusionment,” and eventually up the “Slope of Enlightenment” toward the “Plateau of Productivity.” In 2015, Gartner removed big data from the Hype Cycle. Analyst Betsy Burton explained that it was no longer considered an “emerging technology” and has become prevalent in our lives. Shes right. In hindsight, it’s remarkable how quickly enterprises recognized the value of their data and learned to use it for their business advantage. Big data moved from novelty to necessity at an impressive pace. Yet in some ways, I disagree with Gartner. Adoption has been widespread, but effectiveness is another matter. Do most enterprises truly have the tools and infrastructure to make the most of the data they hold? I dont believe they do. Which is why I also dont believe the true big data revolution has happened yet. But it’s coming. Dissecting the Stack A key reason big data is seen as mature, even mundane, is that people often confuse software progress with overall readiness. The reality is more nuanced. Yes, the software is strong. We have robust platforms for managing, querying, and analyzing massive datasets. Many enterprises have assembled entire software stacks that work well. But that software still needs hardware to run on. And here lies the bottleneck. Most data-intensive workloads still rely on traditional central processing units (CPUs)the same processors used for general IT tasks. This creates challenges. CPUs are expensive, energy hungry, and not particularly well suited to parallel processing. When a query needs to run across terabytes or even petabytes of data, engineers often divide the work into smaller tasks and process them sequentially. This method is inefficient and time-consuming. It also ends up requiring more total computation than a single large job would. Even though CPUs can run at high clock speeds, they simply don’t have enough cores to efficiently handle complex queries at scale. As a result, hardware has limited the potential of big data. But now, thats starting to change with the rise of accelerated computing. Breaking the Bottleneck Accelerated computing refers to running workloads on specialized hardware designed to outperform CPUs. This could mean field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) built for a specific task. More relevant to big data, though, are graphics processing units (GPUs). GPUs contain thousands of cores and are ideal for tasks that benefit from parallel processing. They can dramatically speed up large-scale data operations. Interestingly, GPU computing and big data emerged around the same time. Nvidia launched CUDA (compute unified device architecture) in 2006, enabling general-purpose computing on graphics hardware. Just two years earlier, Googles MapReduce paper laid the foundation for modern big data processing. Despite this parallel emergence, GPUs havent become a standard part of enterprise data infrastructure. Thats due to a mix of factors. For one, cloud-based access to GPUs was limited until relatively recently. When I started building GPU-accelerated software, SoftLayernow absorbed into IBM Cloudwas the only real option. There was also a perception problem. Many believed GPU development was too complex and costly to justify, especially for general business needs. And for a long time, few ready-made tools existed to make it easier. Those barriers have largely fallen. Today, a rich ecosystem of software exists to support GPU-accelerated computing. CUDA tools have matured, benefiting from nearly two decades of continuous development. And renting a top-tier GPU, like Nvidias A100, now costs as little as $1 per hour. With affordable access and a better software stack, were finally seeing the pieces fall into place. The Real Big Data Revolution Whats coming next will be transformative. Until now, most enterprises have been constrained by hardware limits. With GPU acceleration more accessible and a mature ecosystem of supporting tools, those constraints are finally lifting. The impact will vary by organization. But broadly, companies will gain the ability to run complex data operations across massive datasets, without needing to worry about processing time or cost. With faster, cheaper insights, businesses can make better decisions and act more quickly. The value of data will shift from how much is collected to how quickly it can be used. Accelerated computing will also enable experimentation. Freed from concerns about query latency or resource drain, enterprises can explore how their data might power generative AI, smarter applications, or entirely new user experiences. Gartner took big data off the Hype Cycle because it no longer seemed revolutionary. Accelerated computing is about to make it revolutionary again.
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E-Commerce
In an age that prizes specialization, we’re often encouraged to distill our identities into a singular narrativeyour specialization, your personal brand, a streamlined profile that fits neatly into a predefined box. Yet while the world rewards narrow expertise, it simultaneously demands multidimensional thinking. Innovation and resilience don’t emerge from narrowing down; they arise from exploring intersections and embracing contradictions. The leaders we need today are not one-dimensional experts but multidimensional individuals who can hold tension, connect disparate disciplines, and lead from a place of full-spectrum presence. However, many unconventional thinkersespecially those with deep technical or creative giftsfeel pressured to conform to traditional leadership molds. The entrepreneur-turned-creative director may feel their place is to produce big ideas, not weigh in with their operational expertise; the lead programmer with a fine arts background may think their domain is confined to coding, even if they could lend fresh ideas about product design. This tension often leads to disconnection, burnout, and a reservoir of untapped potential. So what does it mean to embrace your full dimensionality as a leadership strategy? The Case for Wholeness Institutions like MIT Sloan have championed the concept of the “T-shaped” leader, a person with deep expertise in one domain and broad collaborative fluency across disciplines. These leaders are better equipped to navigate complexity, break down organizational silos, and foster innovation. But today’s challenges require more than just cross-functional skills; they demand wholeness. Leaders must access intellect and intuition, logic and emotion, embodiment and systems thinking. This holistic approach isn’t new. During the Italian Renaissance, figures like Leonardo da Vinci seamlessly integrated art and science, embodying the essence of multidimensional leadership. This isnt a theoretical shift; Ive seen it in action. In a recent engagement with a life sciences executive team, we paused our strategic agenda to explore personal leadership stories. One leader, a deeply analytical CFO, opened up about a passion for playing jazz guitar that had shaped how he collaborates and leads others. That single story shifted the room. His vulnerability allowed others to bring themselves into the conversation, and the teams cohesion transformed. The business outcomes didnt come from better models, but from deeper connections. This kind of Renaissance energy isnt a luxury; its a catalyst. During the Renaissance, thinkers like da Vinci seamlessly integrated disciplines to show up as fully expressed humans. That spirit lives in us still. We dont need more narrow specialists. We need leaders willing to be curious, courageous, and creatively integrated. A Framework for Full-Dimensional Leadership Leading from your full dimensionality doesnt happen by accident. It requires thoughtful exploration and practice. A way of thinking I call the 3D frameworkdiscover, distill, designoffers a regenerative pathway from internal awareness to external impact. Its not a linear ladder, but a looping process of personal and professional evolution. 1. Discover. Begin by understanding yourself more deeply. Reconnect with your experiences, surface buried brilliance, and reclaim sidelined aspects of your identity. Reflect on questions like: What moments have significantly shaped my journey? Where have I conformed at the expense of authenticity? What parts of me are yearning to lead? Where does your true brilliance live? Leaders who demonstrate high self-awareness are more effective in their roles, fostering stronger team dynamics and grounded decision-making. 2. Distill. After discovery comes discernment. Strip away distractions to focus on what’s essential. Integrate your roles, values, and responsibilities by considering: What narratives about myself need rewriting? What is the essence of my leadership at this moment? What tensions should I hold rather than resolve? Effective leaders today are defined not by certainty, but by their ability to navigate complexity with clarity. 3. Design. From clarity comes creation. Lead with conscious intention, designing systems and cultures that reflect your unique brilliance. This is where multidimensional leadership becomes visible, where presence meets action. Ask yourself: What future is emerging through me? What systems, habits, and environments need to change? How can I embody leadership that energizes rather than exhausts? At Ideo, leaders are encouraged to prototype their leadership models based not on job titles, but on what energizes them. This intentional experimentation has led to measurable improvements in psychological safety, team cohesion, and innovation velocity. Design isnt just about what you build but how you build it. The End of One-Dimensional Leadership Challenges like climate instability, AI disruption, and cultural fragmentation can’t be addressed with logic alone. They require leaders who can hold polarities, think and feel, zoom in and out, and integrate data with empathy. This multidimensional leadership isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. It enables leaders to move from reactivity to intentionality, from exhaustion to resonance. If you’ve ever felt the need to fragment yourself to be effective, consider this an invitation to return to wholeness. Discover who you are, distill what matters, and design what’s next. The future will be led by those who are most fully alive and courageous enough to lead from that place.
Category:
E-Commerce
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