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THE RISE OF THE CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICERS
Picture this: you’re navigating your favorite app, scrolling through seamlessly personalized suggestions, and everything just works. Ever wonder who’s behind that magic? More often than not, it’s the Chief Digital Officer (CDO), the quiet powerhouse steering a company’s digital evolution.
In today’s fast-moving business world, staying ahead isn’t a luxury; it’s a must. Digital transformation is everywhere—from nimble startups to corporate giants—and at the heart of it is the CDO. It’s not just about having the latest technology anymore. The CDO role has grown from a nice-to-have title to a vital leadership position that aligns tech with business goals, driving innovation across the board.
But what makes a great CDO? Well, they’re more than tech wizards. They’re connectors, bringing together teams from every corner of the company—marketing, operations, finance—to ensure everyone’s on the same digital page. They don’t just manage technology; they build a culture of innovation, where agility and adaptability are part of the DNA. When customer expectations change faster than you can blink, and new tech is always around the corner, you need someone who’s ready to pivot and lead that charge. That’s where CDOs really shine.
Take Lawrence Swiader, Chief Digital Officer at American Battlefield Trust, for example. He’s not just ticking off boxes on a tech to-do list. Lawrence is shaping how history is preserved and shared in the digital age. From online education to fundraising, and everything in between—apps, AR, VR, and social media—Lawrence is proving that digital leadership isn’t just about technology; it’s about impact.
In this issue of CXO Outlook, we dig deeper into the world of digital leadership. You’ll discover stories of resilience and innovation, learning how today’s CDOs are not just keeping up with change, but leading it.
So, as you flip through these pages, ask yourself: What does your company’s digital future look like? And more importantly, who’s driving it?
Enjoy reading!
Sarath Shyam
Swiader
Chief Digital Officer of American Battlefield Trust
Preserving History Through Innovative Storytelling and Transformative Technology
Lawrence
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER
34
Eduardo Perez, Chief Customer Officer of Tricolor Holdings
Blending Data, Empathy, and Customer-First Leadership
54
John Melott, CIO of Labrie Environmental Group
Leveraging Cutting-Edge
Technology to Drive Continuous Improvement and Sustainability
68
Joseph Byrum, CTO, Consilience AI
Redefining AI for a Better Tomorrow
24
Samantha Conyers, Chief Experience Officer, First Retail Group
Crafting & Operationalizing Exceptional CX Strategies Across Diverse Industries & Borders
OPINIONS
62
Kate Griggs, Founder and CEO, Made By Dyslexia Why Dyslexic Employees should be at the Top of Your Recruitment Shortlist
44
Naomi Sakamoto, Studio Director, Principal at Gensler
Workplace Mythbusting Rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated
80
Yvonne Tajok, Leadership Coach, Cornerstone Coaching
The Importance of Mental Fitness for the Modern World
Lawrence Swiader
Chief Digital Officer of American Battlefield Trust
Preserving History Through Innovative Storytelling and Transformative Technology
Lawrence Swiader didn’t set out to become the Chief Digital Officer of the American Battlefield Trust. In fact, his journey began far from the battlefields, in the ancient streets of Athens, Greece. Fresh out of Syracuse University with a degree in television, radio, and film production, Lawrence followed his soon-to-be wife to Athens, where he landed his first job as the morning editor of Athens News, an English-language newspaper.
In Athens, Lawrence discovered more than just a love for ouzo and spanakopita. He found a passion for helping people learn. After a year at the newspaper, he transitioned into teaching at a local college, an experience that would become the foundation of his career. "Teaching—or more precisely, helping people learn—became a passion," Lawrence recalls. This passion, coupled with his background in media, created a unique alchemy that shaped his future.
Lawrence's work at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy laid the groundwork for his current role, where he combines technology, education, and communication in the service of land preservation
From Left to Right: Alexandra Gonzalez (Marketing and Analytics), Laurel Gupton (Senior Associate of Digital Content), Mike Rosst (Director of Digital Production), Wendy Woodford (Design Lead) and Lawrence Swiader (Chief Digital Officer).
But it wasn’t just teaching that captured his interest. Living in Greece, surrounded by ancient ruins and archaeological sites, sparked a lifelong fascination with history. This blend of teaching, media, and history led Lawrence back to Syracuse University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation. This degree was the perfect combination of learning and media that Lawrence had been seeking.
Lawrence's career took him from the classrooms of Greece to the solemn halls of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. There, he spent a decade using technology to tell powerful stories about the Holocaust and inspire action against contemporary genocide. “We reached new audiences via products like A Good Man in Hell—a movie about the Rwandan genocide— distributed to classrooms around the world,”
Lawrence shares. His work also included a groundbreaking online mapping initiative with Google, aimed at raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
Afterward, Lawrence spent nine years working on a program called Bedsider, applying behavior change theory and emerging technology to address the high rates of unplanned pregnancy in the U.S. With a human-centered design approach, Bedsider helped individuals choose the right birth control methods and provided SMS reminders to avoid common mistakes.
Yet, despite these achievements, Lawrence’s passion for history and teaching never waned. In 2017, he joined the American Battlefield Trust as its Chief Digital Officer, a role that felt like the culmination of his varied experiences. "All my prior experiences have been essential to my current position," Lawrence explains. His work
at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy laid the groundwork for his current role, where he combines technology, education, and communication in the service of land preservation.
Crafting History in the Digital Age
Lawrence’s journey in the digital world has always been rooted in instructional design. Despite his broad responsibilities as Chief Digital Officer at the American Battlefield Trust, Lawrence still considers himself, first and foremost, an instructional designer. He believes
that the core principles of instructional design— many of which overlap with human-centered design and behavior change—are essential to his work. "It's about selecting the right tool at the right moment, in service of the goal," Lawrence explains.
For Lawrence, the goal always comes first. He avoids the temptation to see technology as a solution in search of a problem. "I try to avoid 'holding a hammer,' or using some sort of technology, looking for 'a nail,' or something to fix," he says. Instead, he focuses on understanding the goal deeply and determining how success will be measured.
During the school year, more than 80% of the traffic to the Trust’s website comes from students and teachers, underscoring the importance of Lawrence’s work in shaping the next generation’s understanding of history
This approach naturally leads to a diverse set of tools and strategies, including non-digital solutions and marketing.
At the American Battlefield Trust, Lawrence’s role goes far beyond just building technological solutions. He understands the importance of spreading awareness and ensuring that the innovations his team creates reach the right audience. "Marketing, writing, and education play a big role in our work," Lawrence notes. As Chief Digital Officer, he and his team are at the heart of everything the Trust does, from raising funds for land preservation to educating teachers and helping visitors to battlefield parks grasp the historical significance of these sites. They aim to turn these visitors into passionate advocates for the cause.
Lawrence is responsible for online education, marketing, and fundraising at the Trust. He oversees a vast array of digital tools, including more than 20 apps, websites, AR and VR experiences, email marketing, and social media. The Trust maintains constant contact with over a million people through these channels. During the school year, more than 80% of the traffic to the Trust’s website comes from students and teachers, underscoring the importance of Lawrence’s work in
During the school year, more than 80% of the traffic to the Trust’s website comes from students and teachers, underscoring the importance of Lawrence’s work in shaping the next generation’s understanding of history
shaping the next generation’s understanding of history. His team also runs a Youth Leadership Team, preparing young people to become advocates for history and land preservation.
One of the American Battlefield Trust’s newer initiatives in which Lawrence is deeply involved is The Liberty Trail program. It ties together more than 30 parks in South Carolina— and eventually beyond—through digital and wayfinding experiences. This program is designed to help visitors better understand America’s Revolutionary War history. "Influencer marketing, corporate partnerships, and content licensing—all brand-new to the organization—
are part of this program," Lawrence shares.
Of course, the challenges Lawrence faces are many, and they are often the usual suspects: time and money. However, some challenges are unique to his role, particularly in keeping up with emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), AI, and the ever-changing landscape of privacy. Lawrence is always seeking to provide personalized experiences while protecting people’s privacy—a balance that is often difficult to achieve. He also wrestles with the high costs of deploying new technologies. "AR and VR are 'shiny new toys' that come with high costs, so
how do we stay on top of their potential without overspending? This is a question I ponder quite often," Lawrence admits.
The Power of the Written Word
Lawrence has always held a deep belief in the power of the written word. In his view, this fundamental unit of communication is incredibly versatile, playing a pivotal role in his “create once, publish everywhere” mantra. “Good writing can be turned into audio and video, support our VR presentations, and still be the best way that people find our website content,” Lawrence emphasizes.
In a world where search engines are constantly evolving, Lawrence understands the importance of strong, well-crafted content. Most people still find their way to the American Battlefield Trust’s website through organic search, which makes adding and updating content a critical strategy for visibility. Lawrence is keenly aware of the shifting landscape of online search. As search engines become more capable of providing answers directly on the search screen, the need for users to visit a website diminishes.
Yet, Lawrence knows that “our information and brand have a much better chance of being displayed prominently if we are writing a lot and writing well.”
Understanding the needs of classrooms across the U.S. is also central to Lawrence’s strategy. Feedback from teacher advisors has revealed that videos are often more effective than elaborate curricula. With this in mind, Lawrence has led the Trust to heavily invest in video production over the past five years, building out a significant presence on YouTube. This approach not only serves their student and teacher audiences but also supports fundraising efforts. In fact, the revenue generated from their YouTube channel has grown enough to fund a position within the organization.
As classrooms begin to embrace virtual reality (VR), Lawrence and his team are responding by creating content that brings the battlefield to students in a more immersive way. “We are creating more content for devices that show content in an immersive way,” he notes, highlighting the Trust’s commitment to staying at the forefront of educational technology.
When it comes to digital trends, Lawrence sees artificial intelligence (AI) as the most significant force shaping the future. However,
he is mindful of using AI in ways that genuinely enhance productivity. For example, AI has become a valuable tool for the Trust’s social media team, allowing them to be more prolific in their postings. “Putting together a daily quiz for social media can be very time-consuming. AI can create easy and quick first drafts that the team can then edit and customize,” Lawrence explains.
AI has also transformed the way the Trust produces audio content. With the ability to generate high-quality voiceovers through AI, the organization can now reserve the expense of professional voiceover talent for only the most critical projects. This efficiency allows the Trust to create more content—whether apps or web presentations—than ever before.
Bringing History to Life
Lawrence is at the forefront of using innovative digital programs to preserve and share America’s historical treasures. One of the groundbreaking initiatives under his leadership is the photogrammetry of historic sites, particularly those associated with the land the American Battlefield Trust saves. Photogrammetry serves as a digital preservation tool, offering a way
for people to visit and explore these sites from anywhere in the world.
Take, for example, the virtual presentation of Lee’s Headquarters, where photogrammetry has been used to create a 3D, photorealistic tour of the site, enhanced with a touch of storytelling. This virtual experience allows people to gain an immersive view of the place without being physically present. Lawrence and his team plan to continue this work, scanning both small and large objects. He shares one intriguing example: “We’ve scanned a Spanish piece of eight that was excavated from a site at Fort Fair Lawn, SC. This kind of work makes it possible for us to share primary source objects with the public soon after they are excavated. And the highresolution scanning means that the object can be examined in great detail.”
While Lawrence is enthusiastic about these modern digital experiences, he also expresses a sense of nostalgia for the traditional, experiential online exhibitions that were more popular in the early 2000s. “I lament the demise of the traditional, experiential online exhibition,” he reflects. In recent years, the landscape has shifted towards
Today, under Lawrence’s guidance, the organization is expanding its digital footprint even further with CTV ads and collaborations with social media influencers
more encyclopedia-like presentations of information, which, while valuable, lack the emotional impact of their predecessors.
In response, Lawrence collaborated with Interactive Knowledge to create the American Revolution Experience, an online exhibition that brings to life the stories of those who participated in the American Revolution. The project centers around a poignant question: “How were the lives of ordinary people affected
by the events of the American Revolutionary War? As tensions mounted across the Thirteen Colonies, the entire Revolutionary Generation was faced with a difficult choice: to pledge loyalty to the Patriot cause and the prospect of a new nation or remain loyal to the King as subjects of the British Empire. How would you choose?”
Each biography within the American Revolution Experience is enriched with artifacts, interactive maps, and person-centered vignettes
that explore the conflict from multiple perspectives. This approach allows visitors to develop a sense of historical empathy for the diverse individuals—Patriots, Loyalists, enslaved people, free citizens, foreign nationals, Native Americans, descendants of early colonists, and recent immigrants— whose lives were profoundly impacted by the war. “The site continues to grow and has led to the development of a traveling exhibition companion to the online exhibition that will have visited 64 venues by the end of the year,” Lawrence notes with pride.
This traveling exhibition has already drawn more than 25,000 in-person visitors and has received requests to host from 49 states and
Looking ahead, Lawrence and his team are preparing for a momentous period in American history: the Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence
numerous countries. Through initiatives like these, Lawrence Swiader is not only preserving history but also making it accessible, engaging, and relevant to today’s audiences. His work ensures that the stories of the past continue to resonate and inspire, connecting people across time and space.
The Power of Digital Fundraising
For Lawrence, the survival and success of any organization hinge on effective fundraising, and in today’s world, that means digital fundraising. “Without funding, our organization ceases to exist,” Lawrence emphasizes, underscoring the critical role that raising money plays in the continued preservation of historic sites. His team is constantly innovating across the many digital channels available to engage donors and secure the necessary funds.
This past summer, the organization saw the fruits of these innovations with a successful 63mile walk challenge campaign on Facebook, coupled with their first-ever coordinated
Connected TV (CTV) ads to raise both awareness and money. Lawrence is a firm believer in the idea that marketing is integral to everything they do: “If people don’t know who you are, they can’t love you.” This philosophy drives his approach, where education lies at the heart of their efforts. He explains, “Any fundraising really does involve education because the best kind of fundraising makes people care through a knowledge of why battlefield land is important.”
Lawrence views fundraising, marketing, and education as inextricably linked components of the Trust’s mission. The digital team’s work has a direct impact on the organization’s ability to preserve land—nearly 60,000 acres have been saved to date. Through a mix of digital marketing tactics, the team raises awareness about the need for land preservation and uses email communication to keep donors informed about victories and ongoing efforts. Part of the donation process includes sharing compelling stories about the land’s historical significance, often conveyed through text, photos, and video.
Lawrence highlights the importance of these narratives: “Our historians conduct tours as they walk upon this hallowed ground, bringing history to life in a way that resonates deeply with our supporters.”
Reflecting on the evolution of the Trust’s digital presence, Lawrence notes, “Seven years ago, the Trust didn’t have much of a social media presence. Our digital fundraising has proven that we can reach people who care about the mission and who will give through these channels.” This shift has led to a much stronger commitment to using social media not only for fundraising but also for advocacy and historical education. Today, under Lawrence’s guidance, the organization is expanding its digital footprint even further with CTV ads and collaborations with social media influencers.
Forging the Future
For Lawrence, the Trust’s digital strategy is not just about keeping up with the latest technology; it’s about aligning with the organization’s overarching mission—preserving battlefield land and educating the public. “Our long-term digital strategy must be aligned with the overall strategy of the organization and be supportive of its mission,” Lawrence explains. This means using digital tools to raise awareness about the need for battlefield preservation and to expand the Trust’s community of donors and supporters.
A key element of this strategy is place-based storytelling, where the goal is to meet people where they are, both physically and emotionally. Lawrence is deeply invested in finding ways to use technology to connect people with battlefield history, no matter where they are. He ponders, “How might we use technology to make people more aware of these connections
Lawrence is brimming with enthusiasm for a new project that’s close to his heart: an app dedicated to the Revolutionary War in New York State
and this history just in time, and trigger a lasting response?” The answer lies in a mix of advanced and traditional storytelling tools, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), text, photography, and video.
Looking ahead, Lawrence and his team are preparing for a momentous period in American history: the Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This historic milestone will span from 2025 to 2031, beginning with the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord and continuing through to Yorktown and beyond. Lawrence sees this as a prime opportunity to honor the people who fought for freedom and to deepen public awareness of the shared history that these battlefields represent.
During this time, the Trust’s digital presence will evolve to create ever more accessible geolocated content. Lawrence envisions a future where mobile devices can deliver stories based on the user’s location, making it possible for people to learn about the history that surrounds them in real time. Additionally, augmented reality will play a significant role in bringing the past to life. Lawrence shares his excitement about these possibilities: “We’ll recreate the great Horn Work in Charleston, the corduroy road in Oriskany, and even give people a sense of scale with great charges like Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg. Imagine life-sized depictions of people from our past, standing before you as if they were still here.”
Revolutionary Visions
Lawrence is brimming with enthusiasm for a new project that’s close to his heart: an app dedicated to the Revolutionary War in New York State. "Nearly one-third of all the battles fought
By fostering a sense of wonder and love for the past in these young leaders, Lawrence believes the Trust is securing its mission for the future
during the American Revolution took place in New York State," Lawrence shares, adding with a touch of personal pride, "and it happens to be my home state!" This ambitious project will kick off with immersive battlefield tours for the Oriskany, Newtown, and Bennington state historic sites. Each battlefield will offer a walking tour within the park, encouraging visitors to explore partner sites, historic markers, and local museums. Through a blend of audio and video storytelling, augmented reality (AR) will bring the history to life, making it feel like visitors have the best possible guide right in their pocket.
But Lawrence's innovative spirit doesn't stop there. He’s also eagerly anticipating the launch of augmented reality goggles at The Liberty Trail sites in South Carolina. These goggles, soon to be available at Marion Square in Charleston, Fort Fair Lawn in Moncks Corner, and Fort Watson in North Santee, will allow visitors to see what the great forts in each location looked like at scale. “It’s an ‘app-less’ experience,” Lawrence explains, “that visitors can experience quickly without any other device.” The project, a collaboration with Zubr Inc. in the UK, has seen historians work closely with the team to recreate these historic sites in stunning detail. Visitors who
bring their smartphones can also wander through these augmented structures, experiencing the scale and intricacies of these places in a way that words alone could never capture.
As exciting as these digital projects are, Lawrence is equally passionate about the Trust’s Youth Leadership Team, which welcomes a new group of ten young people this August. "It's not a digital program per se," he admits, "but we use digital media to recruit and support the team and their projects—many of which are digital themselves." This initiative is about more than just preservation; it’s about ensuring that the next generation of leaders carries forward a deep appreciation for history. By fostering a sense of wonder and love for the past in these young leaders, Lawrence believes the Trust is securing its mission for the future. "We stand a better chance of remembering where we came from in years to come," he says, reflecting on the lasting impact of this vital work.
Through these innovative projects, Lawrence is not only preserving history but also creating new ways to engage with it. His work ensures that the stories of the past are not just remembered but are brought vividly to life for future generations.
Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?
Crafting & Operationalizing Exceptional CX Strategies Across Diverse Industries & Borders
Samantha Conyers is well recognized as a Customer Experience leader in the Caribbean, being among the first in the region with the expertise. With a BA in Public Relations and Economics, as well as an MBA in Strategic Planning, she advocates for placing the customer at the core of organisational success. Serving as the inaugural Head of Customer Experience at Digicel (Trinidad & Tobago) Ltd., Samantha went on to create and co-found the successful CX consulting agency, exco. In December 2023, Samantha assumed the role of Chief Experience Officer at First Retail Group, strategically focused on optimizing and elevating the overall First Retail experience. Her mandate involves implementing streamlined processes and innovative enhancements, strategically positioning the company to capitalize on regional growth opportunities.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with CXO Magazine, Samantha shared her professional trajectory, insights on the impact of AI on customer experience, her secret to striking a work-life balance, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Samantha Conyers Chief Experience Officer, First Retail Group
Hi Samantha. Tell us the story of how you got involved in customer experience. How did your career lead you here?
When I think about my start in customer experience, it was really quite serendipitous. I studied Economics and Human Relations in university and found that I thrived in the delicate balance of task and relationship – data and empathy, hard and soft skills.
My first "real" job out of university was in a leading investment firm in London, where I worked as an assistant for the Client Experience team. My tasks mostly involved serving coffee and booking meetings, but I immediately knew. I had found my passion, my fit.
Since then, I have worked my way up the proverbial corporate ladder - I have been CX Assistant, CX Manager, CX Lead, Head of CX and Chief Experience Officer (not once, but twice). The truth is, for me, it has always been CX.
Technology is exceedingly important for sustainable CX programs; when used strategically, it shortens the route to providing the best possible experience— exactly what our customers want and what they don’t yet know they want
What do you love the most about your current role?
Honestly, this role is a lot of fun. First Retail represents 11 global retail giants, and my days are centered around fashion and experiences – what’s not to love! However, what truly stands out for me is the team I get to work with, particularly the management layer, the store managers.
I've said this many times before, but it bears repeating leading an organization through a customer experience-oriented change is challenging, and it can often feel lonely. There are days when I feel despondent, thinking it's taking too long or that I'm not communicating effectively, or simply feeling like I don’t fit.
I've learned that when those feelings start creeping in, the best remedy is to spend time in the stores. The energy of the shop floor, the interaction with customers, and mostly, the dedication and enthusiasm of our store
managers, always bring me back to why I love what I do. Their willingness to embrace change and their positive energy reignite my own passion and remind me of the impact we’re making together.
Why do so many companies struggle with making CX a priority? What are some common mistakes companies make?
I think companies struggle to make CX a priority because they try to make CX everything. In an attempt to encompass all aspects of customer interaction, what you end up with is no focus or strategy, leading to fragmented CX initiatives. Another very common mistake (I have definitely been guilty of this in the past) is that too many CX programs are retention-oriented rather than focused on growth. This reactive perspective will prevent a company from fully leveraging CX as a driver or strategic capability for business expansion and innovation. (For more on this, check out "Leader’s Guide to CX" by Matt Watkinson.)
You also MUST have a heavy focus on change management. Customer experience leaders are almost always the de facto change agents in their organizations, either because they have that mandate explicit in their job description or because they’re the ones who first recognize the need for a change and so step up to make it happen.
Effective Customer Experience management demands deliberate decision-making that addresses (and sometimes competes with) changing customer norms, business strategy and related objectives, cultural norms, internal operations, and the list goes on. Just like a marketing plan or organizational process, every
My goal is to cultivate a dynamic, open, and engaging work environment where people feel good – both inspired and empowered to pursue goals, organizational and personal
single customer experience program is different. However, I can tell you with certainty that the longer a project takes to deliver, the less impact it will have. The truth is, making CX a priority is the easy part—keeping it there is hard.
Have you seen, firsthand, any AI impacts on the practice of CX? What impacts are you expecting in the next few years?
Yes! I have witnessed firsthand the impact of AI on customer experience. Currently, I am
using basic AI technology daily to enhance and supplement my tasks, the experiences I deliver, and those the business delivers to our customers.
As we are in data collection mode, we are wellpositioned to set up systems that help us understand customer preferences and behaviors more accurately and efficiently, ensuring sustainability and scalability for the business. Technology is exceedingly important for sustainable CX programs; when used strategically, it shortens the route to providing the best possible experience—
exactly what our customers want and what they don’t yet know they want
I am particularly impressed by Spectrum AI by OCX Cognition. Having had the privilege of working alongside the OCX team, I have seen what an advanced AI-driven platform can do in providing deep insights into customer interactions and experiences. Spectrum analyzes vast amounts of operational, financial, and experiential data from various touchpoints to deliver actionable insights.
I am excited to see what’s next!
My commitment to personal and professional development extends beyond my ego, customer experience (CX) and leadership; it encompasses all aspects of my life
How would you describe your leadership style?
I put a lot of effort and energy into being aware of and working on my leadership style, and it has evolved over the years. Today, I would say my approach is transformational. My goal is to cultivate a dynamic, open, and engaging work environment where people feel good – both inspired and empowered to pursue goals, organizational and personal.
I believe that success is born out of motivation and connecting people to our larger, recently defined organizational strategy is key for our growth. I work hard to clearly link day-to-day tasks to the greater purpose, setting clear expectations without resorting to micromanagement. In the past, I have been guilty of micromanaging and just “doing it myself,” but I’m actively working on this.
Transparency and trust are big parts of being a good CX leader, and this has to go both ways. Recently, my priority has truly been on people and on fostering an environment where people feel valued and connected to the bigger picture. The retail industry is very susceptible to burnout; we work hard, and there are no days off. You need to be ‘on’ every single day. I am personally trying to maintain that energy myself, as energy and enthusiasm are contagious and positively correlated with success in our business.
I would add that I have been blessed to work alongside, and for amazing leaders for in the past that embodied this approach, and it was particularly beneficial during times of change or uncertainty, as it helps to anchor the team and maintain focus.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a CX leader?
I consider myself a forever student, always eager to learn and grow. I ask a lot of questions (much to my husband and colleagues dismay :) but I have no problem admitting when I do not know something. My commitment to personal and professional development extends beyond my ego, customer experience (CX) and leadership; it encompasses all aspects of my life.
Currently, I am very focused on enhancing my skills in Change Management. Understanding how to effectively navigate and lead through change is crucial in my current role and I believe will play a big part of my long-term career. I truly believe that this is the best way to support my team and organization during transitions, ensuring we remain agile and resilient.
I also constantly seek feedback from my friends, peers, mentors, and team members. A typical CX leader, I value a good feedback loop - it helps me identify areas for improvement and reinforces my commitment to continuous growth. I listen to podcasts every day - my current obsession “Build with Leila Hormozi”.
Finally, I make it a point to participate in conferences, workshops, and webinars to stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices. I prioritize networking and connecting with other CX leaders and professionals.
What do you believe are the characteristics and actions that you used to get to where you are today?
A whole lot of Grit, grit anchored in grace.
What is your secret to striking a worklife balance?
Sigh, when you find out, please let me know. My friend and mentor, Matt Watkinson, recently told me, "When you juggle a lot of balls, you need to remember which ones are rubber and which are glass." I remind myself of this daily. Work is rubber; I’ve worked very hard to build my credibility, and I am working on building a team around me so that when (not if) I drop it, it bounces back. But my babies, my health – those balls are glass, and I am working on handling them with care.
I’ve also learned that you have to look at the macro perspective. Every day is not the same. Some days, I work nonstop for 12-14 hours, and on those days, if I focus on the micro perspective, I feel guilty – like the worst mother and wife. Honestly, maybe it's age, but I get burnt out and don’t bounce back like I used to.
I recently completed a coaching program with an extraordinary coach, Tricia Conyers. She helped me learn to dial back or shave off tasks, reminding me that I don’t have to do it all at the same time. Thinking again from a macro perspective, if I have a deadline this week, it’s okay to work hard, but next week, I will shave off some ‘work-time’ for ‘familytime’ or ‘me-time.’
I have also started tracking my health using a ‘Whoop.’ Seeing the data on the impact of my physical recovery from constantly going helps me know when to slow down, take a breath, and be gentler with myself. Honestly, I am not sure I believe in “Work -Life Balance”, it is a give and take and one side ALWAYS weighs heavier… It is an ongoing journey, but being mindful of these aspects helps me strive for it.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
It’s funny - this question keeps coming up. Honestly, I see myself being more settled and strategic within First Retail Group. I want to focus on adding substantial value, and to do this I need to deepen my skillset in corporate finance and sharpen my negotiation skills. Don’t get me wrong, I will always be passionate about customer experience, but I feel like I’m ready to look beyond it to broaden my capabilities. In 5 years, I see myself as an all-rounded leader who not only thrives in process, people and experience but also brings a strong understanding of operations and corporate finance to the table.
Advice for CX
At the risk of sounding cliché, the first thing I would say is you need to have thick skin. You have to be able to juggle tasks and relationships,
Building relationships with your key stakeholders and understanding the team dynamics are crucial steps in establishing a strong foundation for any leadership role, not just CX…
subjective and factual matters, and you have to be prepared to have tough conversations even when you are not invited to them. You have to be confident enough to force yourself into operational conversations if you are going to make an impact or play a strategic role. It was a running joke in my last corporate job that my colleagues would hide to have meetings without me when they needed to make a quick (and noncustomer-centric) decision.
All jokes aside, I strongly advocate for planning—clear planning, 30, 60, 90-day planning! Start with small tactical wins; in other words, start fixing things—little things, broken things, things that everyone wants to fix but doesn’t have the time or know-how. This is the fastest way to build credibility and show the business and its people that you are there to make things better.
Once you have some momentum (and hopefully a few friends), conduct a current state assessment to really understand the business, its challenges, and most importantly, to understand the growth opportunities. This is where you want to focus or center your CX program—around growth. Building relationships with your key stakeholders and understanding the team dynamics are crucial steps in establishing a strong foundation for any leadership role, not just CX…
It also goes without saying that it is essential to align your CX efforts with the organization's vision, mission, and values. For me, values are very top of mind for CX leadership. I see values as decision-making filters that can empower a team to make decisions and take actions that are consistent with the company's long-term goals and culture.
Eduardo Perez Chief Customer Officer of Tricolor Holdings
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER
Blending Data, Empathy, and Customer-First Leadership
Eduardo Perez's journey as a leader is deeply rooted in his early experiences as a quality engineer. In those days, his primary responsibility was to ensure that products met the highest standards. "When there were issues, I had to visit customers, work with them, and find solutions," he recalls. This hands-on experience taught him early on that the key to success in any role is being customer-centric.
From there, his career naturally evolved. Eduardo moved from process improvements to analyzing and eventually leading operations. During his decade-long tenure at Capital One, he became known for his expertise in process improvement, always with a sharp focus on
enhancing the customer experience. His passion for this led him to write a book titled *Simplified Process Improvement*, where he emphasized the value of refining processes to better serve customers. “I’ve always believed in Henry Ford’s saying, ‘It’s the customer that pays the wages, not the employer,’” Eduardo says.
Six years ago, he joined Tricolor Holdings, and from day one, his mission was clear: elevate the customer experience. “It’s been my focus ever since,” Eduardo shares. During this period, Tricolor experienced rapid growth, and Eduardo played a significant role in shaping the company's operational processes. His involvement from the ground up gave him a deep understanding of the intricate workings of the business.
Despite his in-depth knowledge, Eduardo is a firm believer in empowering his team. “I trust my leadership team to run the operations,” he explains. “I understand that they need the freedom to make mistakes and grow their own leadership skills in the process.” His leadership
style, as he describes it, is akin to the relationship between an editor and a writer—he trusts his team to execute, but steps in to offer guidance and feedback when necessary. “Sometimes they come to me for input, other times I just check in. But there's always mutual respect, and
they know I have their best interests—and the company's—at heart.” This balance of trust and involvement has been a key factor in the team's high performance under his leadership.
Building a Customer-Centric Ecosystem
At Tricolor Holdings, customer experience is at the heart of everything. Over the years, the company has developed an end-to-end customercentric infrastructure with checks and balances woven throughout the entire customer journey. This approach isn’t just internal—customer feedback plays a key role in shaping operations. "We measure ourselves and also use the Voice of the Customer (VOC) as external validation," Eduardo explains. Tricolor conducts internal surveys at critical touchpoints and reviews both positive and negative feedback in detail.
For negative reviews, the team dives into each case to address it head-on, while positive feedback is celebrated—especially when an employee is named directly. "We recognize our team members internally for creating those positive experiences," Eduardo adds.
Patterns from reviews often drive future improvement projects, ensuring the company stays aligned with customer needs. Tricolor also holds regular customer focus groups to keep pace with evolving customer expectations. Eduardo recalls a specific instance when insights from customer feedback reshaped the company’s approach.
Tricolor sells autos face-to-face at their stores while managing their own loan portfolio and providing a free warranty. They also operate service shops to uphold this warranty. From analyzing customer experience data, the team discovered that mechanical issues shortly after purchase—though rare—tended to lead to complaints. "These issues, even if they affected only a fraction of our sales, often escalated quickly," Eduardo shares. As a result, Tricolor used this data to inform vehicle decisions, ensuring that certain models with a higher likelihood of early mechanical issues were avoided.
"The beauty of our operation is that everything is interconnected," Eduardo emphasizes. Customer experience isn’t just about the store—
Over the years, Tricolor Holdings has developed an end-to-end customer-centric infrastructure with checks and balances woven throughout the entire customer journey
it influences loan servicing, vehicle purchasing decisions, and even the face-to-face interactions at the stores. "Analytics is the backbone of our business," he adds.
Data-Driven Excellence in Loan Management
Managing a $1 billion loan portfolio while maintaining top-tier service is no small feat, but Eduardo and his team at Tricolor Holdings have found a winning formula—data. “We track everything,” Eduardo says. From the moment they purchase a vehicle at auction to its reconditioning, transport, sale, loan servicing, and beyond, Tricolor connects the dots between the vehicle and the customer.
This comprehensive data allows them to make informed marketing and management decisions.
Each member of the leadership team, from frontline managers to executives, has access to real-time reports that help them stay on top of operations. These reports aren’t just informative; they’re actionable. "We have control triggers that alert us when certain parameters are beyond their guardrails," Eduardo explains. The team is trained to act quickly, often solving potential issues before they escalate into real problems.
One of Tricolor's most powerful tools is its proprietary risk model. Using data, the company can forecast which loans are riskier—even if they appear similar on the surface. "This allows us to execute risk-based
We have control triggers that alert us when certain parameters are beyond their guardrails
strategies that guide where we should focus more attention," Eduardo explains. From which agents handle specific loans to tailored contact strategies, Tricolor’s approach ensures efficiency and minimizes risk, all while maintaining customer satisfaction.
The Power of Culture: A Core of ‘Vamos Con Todo’
At the heart of Tricolor Holdings is its commitment to the Hispanic community—both in its customers and its workforce. A significant percentage of employees are Hispanic, and many of the company’s principles are deeply rooted in that culture, especially a strong work ethic. "We have a saying: ‘Vamos Con Todo,’ which means
we give it our all, all the time," Eduardo shares. This ethos of hard work and dedication is a key reason for Tricolor’s success.
The company operates under four subbrands, each tailored to different target audiences or geographic regions. Despite this diversity, the customer experience remains consistent across all brands, thanks to Tricolor’s centralized customer experience practices. "Our NPS scores are consistently high across the board," Eduardo notes with pride.
Reputation is everything to Tricolor, and the team is laser-focused on addressing every customer concern with urgency. "We don’t take any customer for granted," Eduardo explains. In an industry where customers can easily shop for
the cheapest option, Tricolor has set itself apart by building strong relationships based on trust and service.
Each quarter, the company produces an internal reputation report that breaks down key review drivers by region, complaint type, store, and brand. Tricolor also monitors its competitors’ NPS scores, making sure they’re staying ahead. "We take our reputation seriously," Eduardo emphasizes. In today’s social media-driven world, one great experience can go viral— and so can one poor one. For Tricolor, every customer interaction counts.
Tricolor’s “Fail Fast, Learn Fast” Mindset
At Tricolor Holdings, innovation is part of the company’s DNA. Their leadership team fosters
a culture of continuous improvement, where experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. "We push to fail fast and learn fast," says Eduardo. This philosophy drives every aspect of their business, from operational efficiency to costsaving initiatives.
Tricolor doesn’t just experiment for the sake of it. Each trial is rooted in measurable, databacked research, ensuring that every initiative is tracked and the results are clearly defined. "At any given time, we're likely experimenting with one or two different changes in any department," Eduardo explains. This methodical approach allows Tricolor to remain nimble and quick to adapt while pursuing breakthrough innovations. What sets the company apart is the leadership’s engineering mindset. Many senior leaders,
including Eduardo, are trained engineers, and this background has shaped a culture of precision and continuous improvement across the organization. The commitment to evolving processes and finding efficiencies is more than a strategy—it’s a fundamental way of doing business.
Tricolor’s leadership also extends this mindset to how they manage their employees. No role is deemed less valuable than another. Eduardo emphasizes that "every employee plays a key role," whether they're based in the U.S. or Mexico. This equitable approach fosters a meritocratic culture where high performance is rewarded, and cross-border teams regularly engage in friendly "champion vs challenger" competitions, driving both collaboration and excellence.
Focusing on Customer Experience for a Rapid Growth
Tricolor Holdings’ explosive growth, recognized by its spot on the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years, has been fueled largely by its commitment to delivering outstanding customer experiences. Eduardo understands that, in a highly competitive market, customer experience can make or break the business. "I don’t think customer experience can be neutral," he shares. "Customers either really liked their experience, or they didn’t."
This understanding underscores the company's high Net Promoter Score (NPS), a reflection of its overwhelmingly positive feedback. For Eduardo, the relationship between excellent customer service and growth is clear. Without strong customer satisfaction, Tricolor’s rapid expansion might not have been possible.
"I don’t think customer experience can be neutral. Customers either really liked their experience, or they didn’t."
Until we have a year without a single complaint, my job is not done
Eduardo's background leading the sales organization has given him insight into the nuanced differences between regions, whether it’s the preference for trucks in Texas or small SUVs in California. It’s not just about individual preferences— it’s about understanding the environment that shapes those needs. Economic conditions, local industries, and even regional regulations all play a role in how customers perceive value.
"Like many of our other decisions, we rely on data and analytics to drive how we adapt to these different markets," says Eduardo. Rather than making assumptions, the team lets the data speak, ensuring that their strategies are rooted in fact rather than speculation.
Always Evolving Customer Experience
As Tricolor Holdings continues to expand into new states and markets, Eduardo recognizes that the journey to delivering a perfect customer experience will never be complete. "Until we have a year without a single complaint, my job is not done," he states. The company’s focus on customer experience (CX) remains a core priority, and they are constantly seeking ways to evolve.
Future plans include delving deeper into customer focus groups, allowing Tricolor to better understand any shifts in customer expectations. This approach ensures that they remain agile, ready to adapt to new challenges that expansion into other regions may present. "We know that delivering the best customer experience in our industry will never end," says Eduardo. “Being light on our feet and ready to react quickly to change is always in our playbook.”
This forward-thinking attitude ensures that Tricolor will not only maintain its strong standing in the market but continue to lead with innovation and customer satisfaction as their guiding principles.
Workplace Mythbusting Rumours of its death have been greatly
exaggerated
Naomi Sakamoto is a Principal in Gensler’s London office, leading both the Technology practice area for the firm’s Europe region and a studio serving innovative clients in sciences, tech, and creative industries. With a background in urban design, civil engineering, and architecture, Naomi is a regular keynote speaker at leading events across Europe, delivering thought leadership on topics related to the future of work and the importance of physical space to nurture talent and enhance human connection.
Studio Director, Principal at Gensler
Naomi Sakamoto
If you’ve been on LinkedIn lately, you’ve probably heard all manner of opinions about work, hybrid, and the future (or demise) of the office. To separate reality from hyperbole, Gensler conducts an annual survey of more than 15,000 office workers around the world to find out how and where they spend their working lives, and what they want from the places they work. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most common workplace myths, and how they stand up to the research.
Myth #1: “The office is obsolete! Given the option, everyone would rather stay home.”
Our survey showed that while we now spend about 20% of our working time at home, we still spend about half our time in an office. The remaining 30% of our time is spent in other places, like coworking sites, client sites, business travel, libraries, and cafes. The office isn’t competing with the home—it’s competing with the city. And
Our survey showed that while we now spend about 20% of our working time at home, we still spend about half our time in an office
instead of workers abandoning their offices to stay home, they are busting out of their offices into new & different venues: trains and coffee shops, airports and libraries.
This is what people are doing, but what do they want? Interestingly, there is general consensus that people would ideally be in the office 58-68% of the time to maximise their personal and team productivity; those who are currently coming in less than 58% reported they would ideally come in more, and those coming in more than 68% would ideally come in less.
Fact check: office versus home is a false dichotomy—the data reflect that people actually work in the office and the home, AND a
multitude of other places throughout the city. Each of these environments provides us with something unique, and taken together, offer employees a rich and diverse landscape for work. For those of us who design, provide, or invest in workplaces, we should embrace this opportunity to differentiate purposebuilt workplaces from all other places where work happens, and to offer an experience that cannot be gained anywhere else. After all, amongst the wide variety of options we now have for where to do our work, people are choosing the office about half the time— and say that they would ideally come in even more.
Myth #2: “I’m way more productive at home. Coming into an office is a waste of my time!”
While 43% of workers believe they are more productive when working from home, Barrero, Bloom, and Davis found that productivity is essentially the same for in-office and hybrid work, and lower for fully remote work. The scales tip towards in-person work when we consider the longer term: Emanuel, Harrington & Pallais found that workers who were physically co-located give and receive more feedback, and therefore “working from home (WFH) has divergent effects over different time spans, as short-term gains come in part from mortgaging workers’ long-run development.”
Face-to-face interactions are still the best tool we have for learning, mentorship, and longerterm career growth.
Furthermore, individual productivity is just one aspect of the increasingly collaborative nature of work. Our Workplace Survey found that working with others in-person is the only type of work we’re doing significantly more of this year than last year, and that time spent on cooperative work has nearly doubled since 2008, from 28% to 52% of our working hours. Work is a team sport.
If work is a team sport, how do we make teams more effective? In Google’s two-yearlong study on team performance, they found that great teams are built on trust and psychological safety, and that trust and psychological safety rely on face-to-face interactions. Therefore environments (like offices) that support faceto-face interactions are critical for teamwork and collective productivity. And indeed, our
Face-to-face interactions are still the best tool we have for learning, mentorship, and longer-term career growth
survey showed that teams working in better workplaces are 2-3 times more likely to have strong team relationships.
Fact check: Compared to other places where work happens, workplaces are best suited to foster trust through face-to-face interactions, enabling feedback and long-term growth, and empowering success of the team— not just the individual.
Myth #3: “My teams don’t need a fancy workplace; they could do their jobs with a sofa and high-speed internet. Besides, isn’t a great office just about beer taps and ping pong tables?”
A great workplace doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be functional. According to our survey, high-performing workplaces were 2-3 times more likely to provide access to spaces for critical work activities. While functionality
According to our survey, high-performing workplaces were 2-3 times more likely to provide access to spaces for critical work activities
is non-negotiable, the difference between a good and a great workplace comes down to more subjective factors: employees in top-performing workplaces were more likely to feel that their workplaces are beautiful, welcoming, or inspire new thinking.
Rather than a magic-bullet workplace amenity or space type (like beer taps or ping pong tables), we found that the best workplaces offer a variety of different work settings, giving employees a diversity of environments, postures, scales, and moods to choose from when they come into the office.
And interestingly, we learned that if offices provided the right mix of experiences—a perfect blend of everything an employee needs— employees would be willing to come into the
Employees in high-performing workplaces are 2-3 times more likely to feel that their office positively impacts their job satisfaction, health and wellbeing, career advancement, relationships with colleagues, quality of their work, and the speed of their decision-making
office much more often: 45% said they would come in one additional day per week, and 22% said they would be willing to come in full time.
In addition to driving increased office presence, a great office also has positive impacts on individuals, teams, and on the organisation’s business outcomes. Employees in high-performing workplaces are 2-3 times more likely to feel that their office positively impacts their job satisfaction, health and wellbeing, career advancement, relationships with colleagues, quality of their work, and the speed of their decision-making.
Fact check: A great office offers functional spaces, inspiring experiences, and varied environments, and drives personal and business outcomes. In other words: a great office is good for business.
CONCLUSION
The office is now one of a multitude of locations where people can work effectively. Therefore, workplace design should embrace what the office does differently from other settings, and amplify what it does best.
- The office is a place to grow, because mentorship and feedback happen more effectively than in any other environment;
- The office is a place to belong, form trusted relationships and learn to work effectively as a team;
- The office is place to perform, complete our core tasks and accomplish our goals.
And finally, a great office is not about Instagrammable aesthetics or trendy gimmicks; a great office can catalyse individual performance, drive organisational goals, and enrich our interpersonal relationships.
John Melott CIO of Labrie Environmental Group
Leveraging Cutting-Edge Technology to Drive Continuous Improvement and Sustainability CIO
John Melott began his IT career in 1983 as a third-shift operator at an industrial tool maker, quickly establishing himself as a reliable asset in the company. His journey took him to a financial services bank, where he worked his way up through the ranks over 17 years. This experience set the stage for his transition into the energy sector through Accenture, where he held roles as a Manager and Senior Manager in IT Infrastructure. John believes that his time in the banking industry equipped him with valuable insights that he applied in energy and industrial manufacturing. “I very much enjoy learning the business and then applying IT best practices to develop solutions,” he explains. A key part of his
growth has been the influence of a great mentor, who recognized John’s potential and reached out to him for guidance, even when they were no longer working together in the same field. What excites John most about his role at Labrie Environmental Group is the tangible nature of their products. He thrives in an environment filled with welcoming, experienced, and friendly colleagues who share his passion for creating real-world solutions. Throughout his career, John has encountered critical moments where he needed to speak up about potential issues that could negatively impact customers or inflate costs. “Knowing when to speak up when I saw something either ‘was not right,’ ‘going to negatively impact
John finds immense excitement in his role as the Chief Information Officer at Labrie Environmental Group, largely due to the supportive culture fostered by the CEO and the executive team
our customers,’ or ‘cost more money than it should’—those were all moments that shaped my experience across various companies,” he reflects.
For instance, during a data center build-out at Murray Financial, he identified that construction could hinder customer access to daily reports, which “would have been catastrophic since online reporting was not available.” At Baker Hughes, he faced considerable challenges while relocating a data center. The migration of infrastructure and network services to a new co-location site was daunting. Drawing on his quick thinking, John suggested bubble-wrapping all equipment racks and transporting them with the equipment still inside, an approach that ultimately “worked out perfectly,” with the equipment starting right up.
Most recently, at Labrie, he dealt with a major ERP migration where testing was stalled by previous management due to security concerns. Taking the initiative, John researched the situation and negotiated with a consulting company regarding their security measures, allowing them access to the testing environment and getting the project back on track. Through these experiences, John has not only shaped his
career but has also become a crucial part of the vibrant culture at Labrie Environmental Group.
A Culture of Support
John finds immense excitement in his role as the Chief Information Officer at Labrie Environmental Group, largely due to the supportive culture fostered by the CEO and the executive team. “They are great supporters of technology and see the value we can bring to achieve business objectives,” he notes. This positive environment encourages team members to voice their ideas and concerns, reinforcing the notion that IT is more than just a back-office department.
At Labrie, IT is seen as a crucial partner in solving business problems. “We have business directors reaching out to ask us to help solve business problems. That’s HEAVEN for me!” John exclaims. This collaborative spirit extends across the company, as executive team members actively encourage everyone to speak up whenever they notice potential issues that could negatively impact the business.
As CIO, John focuses on several key responsibilities that drive the company's
technological progress. Cybersecurity is his top priority, as he knows that “the wolves are always at the door.” He also emphasizes the importance of daily and nightly batch processing to maintain accurate production manufacturing. Relationships are vital too; he makes it a point to stay engaged with the business’s needs, fostering connections that keep IT in sight, in mind, and in focus. Lastly, team building is a priority, where he values encouragement and training to empower his staff.
These priorities are dynamic, often overlapping and shifting, yet they remain essential to keeping Labrie’s operations moving in the right direction.
Transforming the Quote-to-Order System
One of the most significant IT changes under John's leadership has been the redesign of the company’s quote-to-order system, affectionately known as the “configurator.” This tool streamlines the process where customer quotes are transformed through engineering and customer service workflows into final sales orders. Previously, this process could take weeks, but now it only takes hours or days, depending on the options requested.
John’s strategic approach allowed Labrie to leverage “best-in-class” capabilities, even if it meant retraining some business users. The outcome has been overwhelmingly positive, with the initial phase completing in late January 2024, receiving high praise from IT customers. Phase II is set for production deployment by early November 2024.
Additionally, Labrie revamped its webenabled customer portals, integrating chatbots and enhancing the user experience to help
customers find the right truck for their needs. John emphasizes that Labrie IT is committed to continuous improvements across manufacturing processes. From overhauling platforms to enhance workflow processes in engineering, operations, and quality, to significant training for IT personnel for deploying a Data Warehouse, the team is dedicated to enhancing Labrie's operational efficiency.
A part of this transformation aligns with the principles of Manufacturing 4.0, aiming to reduce, if not eliminate, paper usage across all departments. John is proud that Labrie is moving towards “online viewing and processing” of what once required hard copy documentation. This commitment to innovation and efficiency is evident in Labrie’s approach to revamping its product configurator and reducing technical debt.
From overhauling platforms to enhance workflow processes in engineering, operations, and quality, to significant training for IT personnel for deploying a Data Warehouse, the team is dedicated to enhancing Labrie's operational efficiency
John prioritizes technology investments that keep Labrie ahead of the curve, particularly as the company focuses on developing greener, safer, and smarter equipment
Prioritizing Technology Investments
John prioritizes technology investments that keep Labrie ahead of the curve, particularly as the company focuses on developing greener, safer, and smarter equipment. This process begins with understanding the business's needs to deliver better, faster, and more affordable products. The second consideration involves assessing any gaps in their cybersecurity defenses. “It’s really never-ending,” he admits, “but to stay ahead of the wolves, we never rest on our laurels.”
Balancing these priorities can be challenging, as John navigates the demands of finance, supply chain, engineering, operations, and customer service. Above all, the security and integrity of Labrie's data is paramount. In the past two years, the team has deployed a 24/7 SOC/SIEM service, a real-time network monitoring service to protect against anomalous behaviors, and updated firewall policies to ensure maximum protection without hindering business operations.
Building Strong Partnerships with Business Departments
Whenever John and his IT team engage with a business department, they prioritize active listening. Understanding the business users' requirements before developing a solution is key. John emphasizes the importance of making business users feel comfortable collaborating with IT. “We act like an extension of their team,” he explains. By involving business users in the development process, they can see, touch, and test the solutions created. This approach fosters ownership and accountability among users, leading to successful outcomes.
Looking ahead, John’s top strategies include maintaining a strong security posture, ensuring that ongoing projects are deployed on time and within budget, and continuing to identify cost reduction opportunities to minimize technical debt within Labrie.
Why Dyslexic Employees should be at the Top of Your Recruitment Shortlist
Kate Griggs is the founder and CEO of the global charity Made By Dyslexia, host of the Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking podcast and the author of This is Dyslexia (Penguin) and Empowering Dyslexic Thinking at Work, a free access course on LinkedIn Learning.
Kate Griggs
Founder and CEO, Made By Dyslexia
The workplace is transforming and businesses are struggling to hire the right talent to keep up. Technology like AI is taking on more tasks at work, which means that companies are more desperate than ever for staff who have the ‘soft’ skills AI can’t replicate – skills like adaptability, emotional intelligence, creativity, and innovation. And there is one specific pool of talent organisations should look to: Dyslexic Thinkers.
Why? Because some of the biggest changemakers in business have been Dyslexic Thinkers - from Henry Ford and Steve Jobs to Richard Branson and IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad. And Dyslexic Thinkers will drive the future success of organisations. The World Economic Forum’s ‘Skills for the Future’ are an exact match for the skills associated with
Dyslexic Thinking. The unique challenges that leaders are facing need unique minds to solve them, so it’s vital every organisation understands the benefits and value of Dyslexic Thinking — or risk getting left behind.
What are Dyslexic Thinking Skills?
Dyslexic Thinking was recently added to dictionary.com, where it is defined as:
“An approach to problem solving, assessing information, and learning often used by people with dyslexia, that involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking and interpersonal skills”.
Dyslexic brains process information differently. Our neural pathways are different from someone who is not dyslexic, meaning we literally think differently. This sometimes results in a pattern of challenges, like with spelling,
Many dyslexics are great visualisers, which means they can take a problem as a whole and imagine how something will look after changes
reading, and memorising facts. But, more importantly, it gives us a pattern of valuable strengths too, which we refer to as Dyslexic Thinking skills.
These Dyslexic Thinking skills include:
1. VISUALISING
Dyslexics are great at creating new pieces of work or giving new ideas a completely new
spin. Many dyslexics are great visualisers, which means they can take a problem as a whole and imagine how something will look after changes. Dyslexics who are good at visualising in your organisation may be able to visualise complex user journeys or see project plans come together in their mind. They may excel at product development and seeing a challenge from multiple angles in their mind.
Many Dyslexics have above average reasoning skills, which means they can make connections across complex issues and come up with innovative solutions to problems
2. IMAGINING
In an organisation, dyslexics who excel at imagining drive innovation. Because they see the world differently, Dyslexic Thinkers can come up with new ideas and approaches that no one else has thought of. As we move forward and embrace new technologies, we need workers who can imagine the unimaginable, adapt and create. Dyslexic Thinkers offer exactly this.
3. COMMUNICATING
It can be easy to get caught up in typos and writing errors at work, but once employers look
past that, they will notice Dyslexic Thinkers are often great communicators. These kinds of Dyslexic Thinkers excel at simplifying concepts, building narratives or selling a vision. These skills can help make them great leaders by building, supporting, and empowering teams, people, and organisations.
4. REASONING
Many Dyslexics have above average reasoning skills, which means they can make connections across complex issues and come up with innovative solutions to problems. Dyslexics
often talk about having sudden leaps of insight that help us to tackle challenges in an unconventional way. We use our intuition, our brains think around a problem and connect the dots of insight, which makes dyslexics a huge asset in any team or on any project.
5. CONNECTING
Dyslexic Thinkers excel in empathising, negotiating, and expressing themselves orally. They’re also highly self-aware. These skills help make them great leaders who can build, support, and empower teams, people, and organisations.
6. EXPLORING
Dyslexic minds energise a workplace. Our natural curiosity drives us to seek out new things, learn new skills, and find different ways to do things. The energy and passion we use to do it means the most is learnt, and it inspires others.
How to attract Dyslexic Thinkers
These skills highlight the value that Dyslexic Thinking can bring to any workplace. But dyslexia is still largely misunderstood, and recruitment teams often overlook Dyslexic Thinkers. This is because many organisations still hire using standardised tests that do not suit dyslexics’ non-standard, divergent thinking.
How can leaders tailor their recruitment processes to align with Dyslexic Thinking?
1. ACKNOWLEDGE Dyslexic Thinking in all recruitment materials and show you value it. Ensure your HR and Talent department are all trained in understanding it.
2. SPECIFY Dyslexic Thinking skills in job role profiles and job adverts, like creativity, problem solving etc.
3. REVIEW your methods of recruiting to ensure that Dyslexic Thinking is not being disadvantaged by your processes. Help dyslexic candidates show their abilities with a mix of skills-based assessments and interviews.
4. TEST your recruitment process with the dyslexics in your organisation – consult your Employee Resource Group (ERG) or dyslexic community – to help you spot which parts are potentially filtering out the talent you need.
5. CATEGORISE dyslexia as a skill, rather than a disability, and don’t insist any employees are formally assessed before triggering reasonable adjustments – a self-declaration of dyslexia should be enough.
Creating workplaces that empower Dyslexic Thinking
Organisations must go beyond recruitment and ensure that they nurture cultures where Dyslexic Thinkers are properly supported, empowered and have equal opportunities to thrive. To do this, leaders should redefine dyslexia as a skill and highlight the strengths of Dyslexic Thinking through organisationwide training. As a result, you will create a culture of openness and inclusion where Dyslexic Thinkers feel understood and valued. When Dyslexic Thinkers feel recognised for their strengths and not penalised for their difficulties, they can make the most of the vital skills they offer, which benefits the whole organisation.
Joseph Byrum CTO, Consilience AI
Redefining AI for a Better Tomorrow CTO
Joseph Byrum is Chief Technology Officer at Consilience AI, a company building scalable and explainable AI solutions to deliver mission critical insights by uncovering hidden relationships in data. As an executive, Joseph’s work has been building toward the goal of forging teams with the skills to construct the intelligent enterprise of the future. He has held roles of increasing responsibility in global Fortune 500-level enterprises across the diverse sectors of agriculture, finance and science. He has hired and led truly diverse teams that delivered measurable results across the entire value chain, from manufacturing, corporate affairs, procurement, regulatory,
business development, and account/alliance management to quantitative and data sciences.
What truly makes Joseph a multifaceted and visionary leader is that he has achieved remarkable success in not just one but many fields. He has worked broadly with genomics, molecular biology, open innovation and crowdsourcing models, quantitative genetics, decision science concepts and models, patent data mining, and financial modeling. This is not all. He has experience managing human and business risk and legal uncertainties associated with global strategic partnerships across research, development, and commercialization. Joseph is a transformational leader and visionary who leads by example, integrity,
and collaboration. He fosters a culture of respect, empowering individuals to share their perspectives and showcase their unique talents. His secret sauce to success? Determination, skill, and a methodical approach. With over 50 patents generating $1 billion+ in revenue and prestigious awards like the ANA Genius Award and Franz Edelman Prize, Joseph's achievements speak to his remarkable success.
Transformative Experiences that Helped Shape Career
Joseph began his career in Biotech, where he focused on applying quantitative genetics and data-driven approaches to product development. This work laid the foundation for his understanding of how data and analytics could revolutionize traditional industries. A pivotal moment came when he realized the potential of artificial intelligence to dramatically accelerate and improve the product development process. This insight led him to champion the use of AI in Biotech R&D. Afterwards, his transition from Biotech to finance was driven by the recognition that many of the data science and AI techniques he had developed could be applied to solve challenges in the financial sector.
A crucial turning point was Joseph’s realization of the concept of the 'intelligent enterprise' - an organization that leverages AI and data analytics across all its operations to make better decisions and adapt more quickly to changing circumstances. This idea has been a guiding principle in his work, influencing how he approaches problem-solving and team building. His current role as CTO of Consilience AI represents the culmination of these experiences. It allows him to apply his expertise in AI, data
science, and decision-making to a broader range of challenges across multiple industries. This position enables him to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI while focusing on creating practical, impactful solutions for businesses.
Bringing Diverse Experiences to the Table
Joseph’s experience of leading teams and operations across diverse cultural and regulatory environments in Latin America and Europe has been invaluable in shaping his approach at Consilience AI. His work across LATAM (Chile, Argentina, and Brazil) and Europe (Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Ukraine, Russia, CIS, Spain) has given him a truly global perspective on business operations. Similarly, working in different regulatory environments has honed Joseph’s ability to navigate complex compliance landscapes. Leading diverse teams across cultures has taught him the importance of cultural sensitivity in communication and decision-making. The varied business environments he has worked in have reinforced the importance of adaptability.
As a result, Joseph’s international experience has underscored the value of collaboration across diverse teams. At Consilience AI, they have built a culture that embraces diverse perspectives, bringing together experts from various disciplines including computer science, linguistics, and behavioral economics to create more comprehensive AI solutions. He has also learned the importance of tailoring global solutions to local needs. Operating in diverse environments has sharpened his risk management skills. This is especially crucial in
Joseph’s experience of leading teams and operations across diverse cultural and regulatory environments in Latin America and Europe has been invaluable in shaping his approach at Consilience AI
their line of work at Consilience AI, where they are developing AI systems to better assess and predict financial risks across different market conditions. Working across cultures has heightened his awareness of ethical considerations in business practices too.
Above all, the most important lesson from Joseph’s international experience is embracing the value of continuous learning. “At Consilience AI, we've fostered a culture of ongoing education and adaptation, constantly refining our AI models based on new data and emerging market trends,” highlights Joseph. “These experiences have collectively shaped our approach at Consilience AI.”
Building & Nurturing High-Performing Teams
When it comes to team building especially in multicultural and geographically dispersed environments, Joseph’s approach has been rooted in the concept of creating an 'intelligent enterprise'one that leverages diverse talents, perspectives, and technologies to drive innovation and adaptability. Some of the principles that have worked for him include prioritizing cognitive diversity for he strongly believes in assembling teams with diverse skill sets and backgrounds. In his experience, having team members undergo common training and certification programs, such as Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), provides a unified foundation. This helps overcome cultural and disciplinary differences, allowing team members to communicate and collaborate more effectively. He also encourages ongoing education, knowledge sharing, and exposure to new ideas. This approach not only keeps the team at the cutting edge but also helps in bridging knowledge gaps across different locations and cultures.
Moreover, given the diverse nature of multicultural and dispersed teams, Joseph has learned to focus more on outcomes rather than prescribing specific processes. He has also found it crucial to invest in robust collaboration tools and platforms such as project management software, shared documentation systems, and even virtual whiteboarding tools to ensure seamless communication and ideation across time zones and cultures. As a leader, he also strives to create an environment where team members feel comfortable asking questions
and seeking clarification. By applying these principles, Joseph has been able to build highperforming teams that leverage their diversity as a strength, driving innovation and delivering impactful solutions across various sectors and geographies.
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
Throughout Joseph’s career, one of the most persistent challenges has been bringing together experts from vastly different fields - for instance, data scientists, domain experts in Biotech or
Given the diverse nature of multicultural and dispersed teams, Joseph has learned to focus more on outcomes rather than prescribing specific processes
finance, and software engineers. Each group often speaks its own 'language' and has different ways of approaching problems. To address this, Joseph implemented a rigorous cross-training program. This created a common framework and vocabulary for the entire team. Joseph also paired team members from different disciplines to work closely together, fostering mutual understanding and knowledge transfer.
Further, in traditional industries like Biotech and finance, there's often scepticism about new technologies, especially AI. Many experienced
professionals were hesitant to trust machine learning models over their own judgment honed over years. To overcome this, Joseph and his team focused on demonstrating tangible results. They started with small, high-impact projects that clearly showed the value of AI-driven decision making. The team also emphasized that their goal was to augment human expertise, not replace it. By involving domain experts in the development and validation of their AI models, Joseph and his team were successful in building trust and buy-in over time.
Likewise, due to the rapid evolution of AI and data science technologies, Joseph and his team needed to constantly update their skills and knowledge. They addressed this challenge by fostering a culture of continuous learning. They sometimes found themselves under pressure to deliver quick results. However, truth be told, building truly innovative AI solutions often requires longer-term research and development. To manage this, they adopted a portfolio approach. They balanced their projects between quick wins that demonstrated immediate value and longer-term, more ambitious initiatives. They also worked to educate stakeholders about the nature of AI development, setting realistic expectations about timelines and outcomes.
Lastly, as they pushed the boundaries of what's possible with AI, Joseph and his team encountered ethical dilemmas, particularly around data privacy and the potential societal impacts of their work. To address this, they established an ethics review process for all major projects. They also integrated ethical considerations into their development process from the start, rather than treating them as an afterthought. This often meant making difficult decisions about which projects to pursue or how to implement them, but
At Consilience AI, Joseph and his team have revolutionized investment analysis by fusing behavioral economics with advanced NLP
it was crucial for maintaining trust and integrity. All in all, Joseph and his team were able to create impactful, ethical AI solutions by turning obstacles into opportunities.
Driving Measurable Outcomes
Over the years, Joseph has focused on driving measurable outcomes across the entire value chain through data-driven leadership and innovative approaches. At Syngenta, he led a team that developed and implemented a scalable, global data analytics strategy for R&D. This effort was recognized with the 2015 Franz Edelman Prize - an industry first. Joseph and his team achieved a 68% increase in product performance for a global commercial portfolio worth $1.5 billion. They deployed competitively disruptive solutions resulting in over $285 million in cost
optimization. Their R&D operations platform met 99% of KPI metrics on an annual basis.
In the domain of asset management, Joseph designed and built a first-of-its-kind Artificial Intelligence capability across asset classes. This transformed how this $620 billion global asset management firm does business, using data analytics to deliver measurably better results for its 21 million customers. The result was an unrivalled financial analysis engine that boosted the accuracy of asset selection, reduced operational costs, and built profitability.
Most recently, at Consilience AI, Joseph and his team have revolutionized investment analysis by fusing behavioral economics with advanced NLP. Their groundbreaking AI decodes the language of corporate disclosures, quantifying uncertainty, deception, and sentiment to surface
hidden truths and alpha invisible to human eyes. Today, this is enabling them to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns.
Fostering a Culture of Innovation
Fostering a culture of innovation has remained central to Consilience AI’s mission of revolutionizing investment analysis through advanced AI and behavioral economics. Therefore, Joseph and management team at Consilience AI have brought together not just data scientists and engineers, but also experts in linguistics, psychology, and finance. This cognitive diversity has led to novel approaches and more robust solutions. Consilience AI also allocates time and resources for team members to attend conferences, participate in workshops, and stay current with the latest research as to encourage continuous learning. Joseph also encourages a 'portfolio of experiments' approach such as running multiple smaller initiatives rather than betting everything on a single strategy. This allows the team to explore various ideas, learn quickly, and pivot when necessary.
Moreover, Joseph ensures that every team member understands how their work rightly contributes to and aligns with Consilience AI’s mission of delivering superior risk-adjusted returns through AI-driven insights. He also believes in giving team members the freedom to pursue their ideas. He provides the resources and support needed, but also the space to take ownership of projects and drive them forward. Most importantly, Joseph and his team make sure to recognize and celebrate both big wins and small victories along with encouraging collaboration across different teams and projects. He also places a strong emphasis on
ethical AI development. This commitment to responsible innovation helps align his team with a higher purpose beyond just financial gains.
Improving Operational Efficiency & Decision-Making Processes
Consilience AI's technology addresses complex challenges across various sectors by leveraging its advanced AI and natural language processing capabilities, particularly in finance and business. These solutions are designed to improve operational efficiency and decision-making processes in different areas such as asset management, banking, insurance, corporate strategy, regulatory compliance, and market research.
Furthermore, Consilience AI's solutions have significantly improved decision-making processes in numerous ways like speed and efficiency, depth of insight, objectivity, predictive power, and holistic understanding. In terms of operational efficiency, Consilience AI's solutions have helped organizations by automating routine analysis tasks, freeing up human analysts for higher-level strategic thinking, providing real-time insights, allowing for more agile responses to market changes, enhancing risk management processes by identifying potential issues earlier, and improving resource allocation by providing clearer insights into market opportunities and risks.
Joseph, while commenting on Consilience AI’s technology advancements, remarks, “As we continue to refine and expand our technology, we're constantly finding new ways to address complex challenges across various sectors.” He further adds, “Our goal is to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI-driven financial and business analysis, providing our
Consilience AI's technology addresses complex challenges across various sectors by leveraging its advanced AI and natural language processing capabilities, particularly in finance and business
clients with increasingly powerful tools for decision-making and operational efficiency.”
Leading in the Next Wave of AI
Going forward, Joseph feels that the next major advancements in AI that will shape the future of industries, particularly in finance and business, will revolve around several key areas specialized, domain-specific AI, integration of behavioral economics and AI, decoding ambiguity and trust in communications, efficient and sustainable AI, explainable AI (XAI), real-rime, adaptive AI, multi-modal AI, AI-driven predictive analytics, ethical AI, and AI-enhanced human decision making. Conversely, Consilience AI is positioning itself to lead in these developments such as continued investment in R&D, interdisciplinary approach, partnerships and collaborations, focus on practical applications, scalable solutions, and talent development.
Going Global
Joseph shares that Consilience AI is wellpositioned to expand due to its advanced language processing capabilities. The Consilience Language Codex, with its thousands of custom-built language detection algorithms, enables the company to handle a wide array of languages with high accuracy. This capability could be particularly valuable in regions with diverse linguistic landscapes, where Consilience's ability to detect and interpret multiple languages and dialects could be a significant advantage. Consilience AI's expertise in developing micro-domain language models (LLMs) for specific industries positions it for strong growth in several key sectors including financial services, healthcare
and biotech, manufacturing and industry 4.0, and technology and innovation.
As a matter of fact, Consilience's unique approach to company-level semantics and complex system analysis could have significant impact across various industries by improving interdepartmental communication in large, diverse companies, identifying unexpected synergies within organizations, and enhancing strategic decision-making through deeper insights into organizational dynamics. Additionally, Consilience AI's focus on precision and accountability in its search and content generation capabilities could see significant demand in regions with strict regulatory environments. Consilience's AI-powered frameworks could also revolutionize investment processes by enabling more adaptive and sophisticated strategies.
Staying at the Forefront of AI Advancements
As a leader in AI innovation, Joseph feels that continuous learning and skill development are crucial to staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field. Hence, his approach to personal growth and skill development involves interdisciplinary learning, hands-on experience, collaboration and networking, and reading and research.
Within Consilience AI, Joseph’s primary goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI in finance. “I aim to lead Consilience AI in developing even more sophisticated models that can decode complex financial communications and market dynamics,” says Joseph. He also wants to see their technology applied more broadly across the financial sector and potentially in other industries where understanding complex communications
Within Consilience AI, Joseph’s primary goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI in finance
is crucial. He remains committed to building and mentoring a world-class team of AI researchers and developers at Consilience AI. Lastly, he aims to position Consilience AI as a leader not just in
AI capabilities, but in the ethical development and application of AI technologies.
A Path to a Brighter Future
As the CTO, Joseph’s vision for Consilience AI technological advancement is centered on pushing the boundaries of AI in finance through specialized, ground-up development of large language models (LLMs) tailored specifically for the financial industry. Consilience AI’s approach is unique and transformative in several keyways such as pioneering the development of de novo financial LLMs that are built from scratch to understand the nuances and complexities of financial language. Joseph and his team are fusing advanced natural language processing techniques with behavioral economics principles. In addition, Consilience AI is specifically designed to detect and quantify linguistic expressions of uncertainty, trust, and vagueness in financial disclosures. Besides, Joseph and his team are focused on building compact yet powerful financial LLMs that require fewer computational resources. This approach not only democratizes access to cutting-edge AI but also aligns with the need for more sustainable AI solutions.
In terms of Consilience AI's contribution to the broader AI landscape in the coming years, Joseph sees Consilience AI contributing to specialized AI development, ethical AI in finance, sustainable AI, bridging theory and practice, and democratizing advanced financial analysis. His ultimate vision is to revolutionize how financial institutions leverage AI, moving beyond generic solutions to highly specialized, efficient, and insightful tools that can uncover hidden truths in financial data and communications.
The Importance of Mental Fitness for the Modern World
Yvonne Tajok is a Leadership Coach and Mentor, helping women leaders elevate their career and well-being so they can make lasting impacts. She works with individuals and businesses to deliver 1:1 and group coaching, integrating Positive Intelligence to improve performance, relationships, and wellbeing. Yvonne is an Association for Coaching (AC) accredited coach and has worked with founders, executive directors, senior managers, and research leaders in the financial services, legal, and higher education sectors, helping them succeed in leadership and management, entrepreneurship, career transition, and personal development. Yvonne has 17 years of combined experience in accounting and finance in higher education, in Australia and in the UK. She is passionate about supporting the development of women leaders so that they can pay it forward and pave the way for other women. She has been a Mentor with Inspired Women Lead! and London Business School as well as a Small Group Facilitator on the Women’s Higher Education Network’s (WHEN) Career Accelerator Programme.
Yvonne Tajok
Leadership Coach, Cornerstone Coaching
Introduction
In today's digital era, modern conveniences and information are always at our fingertips. Yet, more people are struggling with their mental health now than ever before. Resilience, confidence, overwhelm, and imposter syndrome are common themes that come up in my work with both men and women. A recent Gallup article highlights that mental well-being is deteriorating, with rising stress levels leading to increased incivility at work, where we spend most of our waking hours. The article notes that 41% of employees report experiencing significant stress at work. Why, despite all these advancements designed to simplify our lives, is our mental and emotional well-being not improving to match?
From my experiences and observations, the common thread is a lack of. A deeper dive has revealed to me that this is tied to our mental capacity to handle challenges positively, productively, and repeatedly. Our ability to manage these challenges has a direct correlation to our long-term performance, relationships, and well-being.
Building the Muscles of the Mind
I’m an advocate for building mental fitness, which is akin to physical fitness. Building the muscles of the mind. Strengthening our mental muscles enables us to respond more positively to life's challenges rather than becoming stressed out and overwhelmed by them. Prioritising mental fitness is as important as physical fitness. The decline in mental health in recent years indicates a genuine need for this. Just like physical fitness, mental fitness requires consistent practice so that we can become more resilient to experiences like imposter syndrome.
As we become more mentally fit, we are less ‘stuck in our heads’ and instead become more compassionate and emotionally intelligent in the way we interact with others. Having stronger mental muscles also gives us the headspace to focus on important tasks, which leads to an improvement in performance, better relationships, and overall wellbeing.
I was introduced to the concept of mental fitness through Positive Intelligence (PQ), founded by executive coach Shirzad Chamine. PQ measures the proportion of time our minds serve us versus working against us. I practiced daily mental fitness exercises designed to build new neural networks and healthy habits over time. If you keep up the practice, you’ll maintain your fitness for life – just like physical fitness.
The most significant change I noticed early on in the practice was my ability to recover quickly from setbacks. In one case I experienced a workrelated setback that would usually eat at me for days but I recovered back to my baseline within hours. What a curious and pleasant experience! I wanted more of this and to share it with others! I finally began to understand why I had reacted the way I did to different situations all my life, how I had been unknowingly self-sabotaging. This meant that I could help my clients discover this for themselves too.
Survival Origins
Saboteurs reside in the left side of our brain, our survival brain, and exist to protect us from perceived threats since childhood. By the time
By taking the Sage perspective, we become more energised and laser-focused so that we can handle anything that comes our way
We have a significant capacity to build resilience to life’s challenges and transform them into amazing opportunities
we’re adults, these Saboteurs have overused our innate strengths and caused us to be overly cautious, leading to issues such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and victim mentality. They also trigger self-judgment and criticism of others and circumstances. For example, I may judge myself or someone else for making a mistake but knowing that this reaction is the work of my Saboteurs, I can easily call it out and take back control over my own mind. I can respond more positively and productively. Recognising when these Saboteurs show up and actively calling them out allows us to take back control and respond more positively. Though their intentions are to protect us, they often flag perceived rather than real threats, causing unnecessary stress and exhaustion.
If our Saboteurs help us survive, what helps us thrive? To counteract our Saboteurs, we can tap into our sages, or inner wisdom, located in the right side of our brain. The part of our brain that is responsible for joy, creativity, empathy, and curiosity. Our Sage helps us respond to challenges positively and productively, with the perspective that all things can be turned into a gift or opportunity. By taking the Sage perspective, we become more energised and laser-focused so that we can handle anything that comes our way. This is how we improve our performance, relationships, and wellbeing and sustain this over a lifetime. The Sage approach of ease and flow is much more pleasant and sustainable than the Saboteur’s ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality. So how do we harness our Sage so that we can get more enjoyment out of life?
3 Strategies for Mental Fitness
Positive Intelligence highlights three key strategies for building mental fitness so that we can not only sustain positive habits but improve upon them over our lifetimes:
Strategy 1: Weaken Your SaboteursRecognise and shine a light on your Saboteurs when they appear. Calling them out gives you more control over where you place your mental and emotional energy.
Strategy 2: Strengthen Your Sage - Adopt the Sage perspective of turning challenges into opportunities. Grab a pen and paper and find the gift or opportunity in the setback.
Strategy 3: Build Self-Command - Train your mind to focus on a chosen physical sensation (visual, tactile, breath) for 10 seconds at a
time, directing your thoughts where YOU want them to go.
Conclusion
We have a significant capacity to build resilience to life’s challenges and transform them into amazing opportunities. We have the power to reduce our stress levels and live a healthier, happier, and more productive life. Prioritising mental fitness as we do physical fitness gives us the means to reach our full potential, even in today's fast-paced and rapidly changing world.
