Introduction

Who you are today is a reflection of your experience. Who you will become tomorrow will depend on the experiences you are yet to choose.

—Authors Caroline Kersten and Sapna Welsh

Business is moving at lightning speed, becoming ever more global, requiring both stellar leadership and great adaptability to succeed. Consider this, of the companies listed on the Fortune 500 in 1955, only 61 (or 12 percent) remained in 2014. That means 88 percent of the original companies either went bankrupt, merged, or fell from grace due to decreased total revenues. About 50 years ago, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Today, it’s less than 15 years and declining ­(Levensaler 2016). Companies do not simply ...

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