The Exponential Era
Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Curve in an Era of Chaotic Changes and Disruptive Forces
IEEE Press Series on Technology Management, Innovation, and Leadership
1. Edition March 2021
208 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
Praise for The Exponential Era
"The Exponential Era turns strategic planning from a stagnant limited application exercise to an active thoughtful process that can yield benefits for all companies and executives. Every company leader can find a gem in the Exponential Era to apply to their business big or small."
--Michael Splinter, Chairman of the Board, NASDAQ and Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Applied Materials
"I count this among the very best business books I have read. The authors have managed to synthesize a vast array of thinking and methodologies and deployed them in a practical and easily understood planning process (SPX) that addresses today's exponential pace of change."
--James B. Stake, former Executive Vice President, Enterprise Services, 3M Company and Chairman, Ativa Medical Corporation
"The Exponential Era is an essential read for our times."
--John Puckett, Owner of Punch Pizza and Co-founder of Caribou Coffee
"The Exponential Era does a great job of not only describing exponential technologies, but how they likely converge to transform our world."
--Frank Diana, Managing Partner, Futurist, TATA Consultancy Services
"The Exponential Era is a must-read for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and virtually anyone navigating our highly complex and rapidly changing world."
--General (Ret. 4 Star) Joseph L. Votel, President and CEO, Business Executives for National Security (BENS)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii
FOREWORD xix
Introduction 1
SECTION ONE 15
CHAPTER 1 The New Context for Our Future 17
CHAPTER 2 Exponential Platforms: Convergences and Megatrends 27
CHAPTER 3 Animals of the Exponential Kingdom 49
SECTION TWO 65
CHAPTER 4 Introducing SPX: Strategic Planning for the Exponential Era 67
CHAPTER 5 Detecting Early Signals 79
CHAPTER 6 Learning from Experiments 95
CHAPTER 7 Capabilities: The Essential Fuel to Ride the Exponential Curve 107
CHAPTER 8 Feedback-Based Strategic Decisions 125
CHAPTER 9 Leading a Culture of Change 137
SECTION THREE 151
CHAPTER 10 The Exponential Human: Social and Ethical Challenges in a Chaotic World 153
A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE USE OF THE TERM EXPONENTIAL 165
NOTES AND REFERENCES 167
INDEX 175
MICHAEL W. WRIGHT is a Partner of Intercepting Horizons and the author of the acclaimed New Business Normal, a former C-suite global high-tech executive at scale and an active board member. He is a University of Minnesota Sr. Fellow, Chairman Emeritus of the Advisory Board for the UMN Technological Leadership Institute, and formerly an adjunct professor at Carlson School of Management where he taught strategic leadership.
