News Stories · Change Management - Leadership - Growth

OWP Final Day: The importance of hyper-awareness, an open culture, and focus

Reflecting on an electrifying week at OWP, Fabien Gandolphe shares his biggest takeaways for becoming a fast organization.
June 2023

By Fabien Gandolphe

We’re finally wrapping up an electrifying week at IMD in Lausanne. Having attended other IMD programs before, I knew that OWP would be packed with new knowledge for me. Sure enough, my head is still buzzing with the profound insight I’ve gathered in just five days! 

As a marketer, I know that success demands we always stay one step ahead of our competitors. While it seems challenging, the principles are actually quite simple.  

Be hyper-aware 

Listening to disruptor extraordinaire Mate Rimac talk about his wild journey in the car industry, it hit me – hyper-awareness is crucial in today’s fast-paced world. We need to stay alert to spot up-and-coming competitors and black swans that could potentially shake up our industries, and as the meme goes, always be ready to pivot! 

Open up organizations 

If you’d asked me a week ago, I would never have expected to learn about running a business by watching a classical quartet and jazz band performing together. Maestro Dominic Alldis brought both bands together to demonstrate the similarities between music and business, and how, by melding the traditional and disciplined with the agile and spontaneous, magic can happen. It was an excellent reminder that in a fast-moving world, our organizations should integrate diverse skills and embrace new ideas to unlock new levels of creativity and innovation.  

Prioritize focus 

Now, brace yourself for what was the most mind-blowing revelation of the week for me: It takes up to 20 minutes to reach your full IQ potential! This really made me realize the importance of creating an environment that supercharges our focus without distractions and reassess how my team and I work. We need to create that sacred space free of interruptions for ourselves so we have the freedom to dive deep into our work, tap into our true intellectual power, and achieve remarkable results! 

This article is inspired by a LinkedIn post: follow me here.