Sylvia Ann Hewlett argued for the empowerment of women in the August 2011 One+ profile of her  book, Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets: Why Women are the Solution.

In a subsequent interview with strategy+business, Hewlett and co-author Ripa Rashid discuss their origins of interest in the subject and get into more details of their research.

S+B: What first piqued your interest in women in emerging markets?
HEWLETT: We felt two powerful lures. One, obviously, was that these are the growth markets, and there are talent constraints in these countries. But, second, we felt that almost everyone had missed the boat in terms of seeing the extraordinary potential of women. There are books on the “China miracle” or the “India miracle” in which women aren’t even mentioned. Or worse, the narrative about women focuses on poverty and oppression and illiteracy. The general thinking in the West is that the most these poor, exploited women can hope for is a little bit of microfinance. I’m not trying to say that isn’t half the reality. It is. But there is this other story of tremendous vitality and aspiration.

Image (C) Ron Rinaldi

At DigitalNow 2011, I have had the amazing opportunity to meet some very fascinating people from a myriad of backgrounds. One of these people is Dr. James Canton, president and chairman of The Institute for Global Futures, and a world-renowned futurist. 

I sat down with Dr. Canton earlier today to discuss the future of mobile and its affects on the meetings and events industry, the strategy behind mobile learning at your next event, and how to strategically select the best content for mobile devices at your next event. 

The following is a series of three videos covering these topics:

Part 1: The Future of Mobile for Meetings and Events

Part 3: Rethinking the Strategy of Learning

Dr. Canton was just one of the many content experts I interviewed while at DigitalNow. Stay tuned right here on the PlusPoint blog and in our May issue for more coverage and exclusive video interviews.

The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.

Or so goes the Japanese saying...

While the truth of this phrase varies from one organization to another, all companies have at least a few executives that can avoid the hammer, according to author Perry Buffett in "Using Influence to Get Things Done" from the latest issue of strategy+business. And the influence of these executives far exceeds their job titles--when they address potentially controversial subjects, their colleagues and bosses pay attention.

"These executives get things done, whereas others, often with more formal authority and power, command, cajole, and threaten to no avail."

Beyond simply getting things done, Buffett asserts that employees of such executives reap the benefits, too.

"Big problems are solved, executive decision making is enhanced, and the organization is flattened somewhat, making it more flexible and less rigidly tied to a top-down, command-and-control environment."

OK, so the important piece. Not everyone is or is capable of being such a proactive, influential executive, but others (even non-executives) can still strive for innovative excellence in working with the C-suite. s+b provides five factors for using influence (including what-not-to-do warnings), one of which is highlighted below.

"Leave your personal agenda at the door."

Fail to follow this significant piece of advice at this risk of your career:

"Although the ability of executives to influence others often enhances their careers, self-aggrandizement isn't their primary motivation. Some executives forget this fundamental truth. They become Machiavellian, playing politics in order to build their power base, or in the flush of success, they become drunk with power. They forget that personal success is a by-product of serving their companies well. With few exceptions, these executives lose credibility with their peers. Their motives are questioned and they eventually cannot muster the support on which their influential competence depends."

Innovation, creativity and the origins of "aha!" strategy+business has published a nice piece exploring this topic with examples of successful innovation from Google and others, taking hints and knowledge from multiple Nobel Prize recipients.

I was surprised that the piece didn't include author Steven Johnson or his thoughts on the foundation of these valuable and topics. Fear not, One+ is here to complete the picture: Check out our profile of Steven Johnson. 

For another quick-hit into this field, associate editor Jason Hensel blogged (three months ago!) about Johnson and creating innovation.