ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates how executives and companies use new ideas and tools to increase awareness and understanding of their surroundings, clearing their minds to do more with less. It highlights one of the most important applications of the updated mindset: the acquired ability to expect the unexpected and to plan ahead for surprises that otherwise can create havoc in people strategic plans. Traditional leadership qualities are often insufficient to succeed in emerging markets, where personal relationships tend to precede business relationships. The chapter describes common mistakes that Western companies are prone to make when entering new markets. The pressure to generate short-term results plus the fluidity of the new global environment is forcing C-level executives to modify the way they guide their businesses. Commoditizing is "the act of making a process, good, or service easy to obtain by making it as uniform, plentiful, and affordable as possible.
