I’m really excited to announce that with the research and writing of my 11th book, Curve Benders, I’ve also launched what I hope will be an insightful, informative, and yet fun podcast. I plan to share what is commonly referred to as “show notes” here in our blog. I want to engage my broad audience of P&L leaders, corporate and association executives, as well as front-line managers and contributors with unique ideas, my independent and often candid perspectives, and incredible nuggets of wisdom from my podcast guests.
It’s hard to believe that 2020 marks 18 years of the Nour Group’s advisory, speaking, training, and executive coaching services. I feel blessed to have been able to help global leaders at over 200 companies, industry associations, and academic forums such as Disney, Siemens, KPMG, ThyssenKrupp, InfoComm International, American Society of Microbiology, my alma mater, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Wharton Executive Education, and more recently Delta Air Lines, and Samsung Electronics to name a few. I’m grateful for past and present clients, many of whom have become dear friends. Without their support, this podcast wouldn’t be possible, and I plan to thank and promote them publicly in future episodes.
If you’ve followed my work over the years, you’ve inevitably read in my blog posts, articles, and books, or have heard in my past keynote speeches or webinars, what I call my hallmark, Nourisms. These are often practical/pragmatic nuggets that bridge a big idea into something you can immediately implement. Over the years, I’ve also really enjoyed interviewing fascinating people to capture their unique perspectives for various books. So, beyond my own ideas on the Curve Benders podcast, expect some fantastic guests from my various walks of life as well.
Curve Benders and Fender Benders
So, what are Curve Benders? Fundamentally, Curve Benders is at the nexus of the future of work and strategic relationships.
For the past several years, I’ve been really curious about the forces that will dramatically impact the way we live, work, play, and give over the next two decades. And what role could strategic relationships play? Could they in fact dramatically alter both our trajectory of the direction we’re headed and, in the process, our ultimate destinations?
You see, I believe for any of us to remain relevant in a future hybrid human-machine world, we’ll need to continue to learn and grow – personally and professorially. New skills, new knowledge, and new behaviors. For most that growth trajectory will be a linear curve (refer to the image below if memory isn’t serving you well from high school Algebra courses! ;-)).
My supposition is that at unique inflection points (see image below) on that growth journey, we’ll meet incredible relationships who will have a profound impact on us. I call these individuals, Curve Benders; they are phenomenal people, beyond a coach or a mentor, who will dramatically change our lives.
Unfortunately, there’s also a negative side of people that take us in the wrong direction. I call those Fender Benders. Obviously, you want more Curve Benders in your life and fewer of the Fender Benders.
And although we are always seeking them and see the obvious great value in finding them, I also want to talk about what will it take for you to become one!
If the idea of Curve Benders in our lives is plausible with you so far, let me ask you a few questions:
- So, are you doing the right things to find Curve Benders in your life?
- How about the right avenues and opportunities to become a Curve Bender for someone else?
None of us can predict the future. I’m hoping this blog, book, and the insights that I share in this next chapter of my growth will help you really plan and think about your career, trajectory, life, relationships, and how you can plan more proactively, more intently, and hopefully, more strategically in not just where you’re going but how you plan to get there as well.
I hope you’ll come along this journey with me. As always, I welcome your ideas, perspective, examples, and pushback if my ideas don’t resonate. If I share something that doesn’t pass the smell test, I’m not only giving you permission, I’m asking for your help of pushback and comments on it. I hope you’ll jump in and go on this Curve Bender journey with me. It promises to be a roller-coaster of a ride!
Thanks, and I look forward to, as always, getting your feedback.
Nour
p.s.
Email topics you’re interested in or recommend future guests to [email protected].