Curve Benders: How Strategic Relationships Can Power Your Non-linear Growth in the Future of Work

A personal growth roadmap guiding you into the future of relationships in work, life, play, and giving Curve Benders is a personal growth roadmap. It will guide you through the complicated intersection of work, life, play, and giving. Countless new forces will shape the future, so the strategic relationships we form in these areas of life are, of necessity, changing. This book will show you how to move into the future and dramatically alter your growth trajectory in both its direction and ultimate destination. David Nour, the author of Relationship Economics and a top thought leader on business relationships, has identified 15 forces that will heavily influence what we do and how and where we engage our current and prospective relationships to create value and make a difference in the lives of others. This book aims to provide you with a step-by-step guide for personal, professional, and organizational growth. The author highlights how certain relationships enable a non-linear growth trajectory. These relationships, in addition to augmenting what we can accomplish, often shape who we become. These relationships are “curve benders,” and this book will show you who and where they are, how to find and engage them, and, equally valuable, how you can become a curve bender to impact the lives and livelihoods of others profoundly. Gain insight into the value of your current strategic relationships and how they help you achieve your work, life, and giving goals Reconceptualize relationships to identify the people with the power, not only to help you achieve but to change who you become Learn how to become a “curve bender” who makes an outsized impact in the lives of others Become better at finding and engaging people, navigating the 15 forces that are reshaping our world This book is about strategic relationship planning, personal growth, and, ultimately, about you. Read Curve Benders to launch yourself into your best future. Cover 1 Title Page 11 Copyright Page 12 Contents 15 Introduction: Don’t Doubt Waze! 17 Transactions versus Transformations 21 How Will You Get There? 25 This Book’s Promise 27 Chapter 1 Work–Life Blending 29 Infrastructure of Our Lives 33 Aligning Corporate Strategy 35 Organization’s Value Agenda 40 Four Non-Linear Growth Strategies 45 Your Personal Market Value 50 Chapter 1 Summary 56 Chapter 2 15 Forces Impacting Your Future 57 Extent of Your Control 60 Five Personal Forces 60 Transitionary Force: Technology 69 Three Organizational Forces 74 Transitionary Force: Economy 80 Five Industry Forces 85 Your Priorities Scorecard 100 Chapter 2 Summary 103 Chapter 3 Accelerated Relevancy 105 Seven-Step Path to Your Curve Benders 109 Sustained Relevance 122 Linear versus Non-Linear Growth 123 Five Steps That Accelerate Your Relevancy 127 Chapter 3 Summary 136 Chapter 4 Curve Benders as Risk Mitigators in Your Personal S-Curve 137 Relationship Intelligence 138 Power of Learning Moments 143 Bending Your Growth Curve While Avoiding Fender Benders 147 Your Personal S-Curve 153 Relationship On-Ramps, Growth Boosts, and Exits 159 Chapter 4 Summary 163 Chapter 5 Organization of the Future 165 Core Business Blind Spots 167 The Sandbox Engine 173 Unlocking Real Innovation 176 Courage, Commitment, Construct 180 Chief Entrepreneur 189 Entrepreneurial Impact at Walmart.com 197 Chapter 5 Summary 201 Chapter 6 Curve Bending in the Lives of Others 203 Curve Bending Mindset and Cadence 207 Seekers and Solvers 212 Compounding Refraction Points 213 Curve Benders in Companies 217 Workhorses versus Show Horses 222 Chapter 6 Summary 227 Chapter 7 Your Curve Benders Roadmap 229 Your Future Growth Timeline – Four Phases 232 Your Repeatable Actions – Five Steps 233 Step 1: Align Your Personal and Professional Aspirations 234 Step 2: Design Effective Inputs 235 Step 3: Immersive Inquiry 235 Step 4: Invest in Your Relationship Bank 236 Step 5: Capitalize Your Curve Benders 237 Phase One: Act Now 240 Step 1: Align Your Personal and Professional Aspirations 240 Step 2: Design Effective Inputs 242 Step 3: Immersive Inquiry 242 Step 4: Invest in Your Relationship Bank 243 Step 5: Capitalize Your Curve Benders 243 Phase Two: Strategize to Evolve 243 Step 1: Align Your Personal and Professional Aspirations 245 Step 2: Design Effective Inputs 246 Step 3: Immersive Inquiry 247 Step 4: Invest in Your Relationship Bank 248 Step 5: Capitalize Your Curve Benders 249 Phase Three: Visualize Non-Linear Growth 250 Step 1: Align Your Personal and Professional Aspirations 250 Step 2: Design Effective Inputs 252 Step 3: Immersive Inquiry 252 Step 4: Invest in Your Relationship Bank 254 Step 5: Capitalize Your Curve Benders 254 Phase Four: Sequence Your S-Curves 255 Step 1: Align Your Personal and Professional Aspirations 255 Step 2: Design Effective Inputs 257 Step 3: Immersive Inquiry 258 Step 4: Invest in Your Relationship Bank 258 Step 5: Capitalize Your Curve Benders 259 Final Step: Curve-Bending Impact 260 Chapter 7 Summary 262 Final Thoughts 265 Notes 269 Introduction: Don’t Doubt Waze! 269 Chapter 1: Work–Life Blending 269 Chapter 2: 15 Forces Impacting Your Future 270 Chapter 3: Accelerated Relevancy 274 Chapter 4: Curve Benders as Risk Mitigators in Your Personal S-Curve 276 Chapter 5: Organization of the Future 277 Chapter 6: Curve Bending in the Lives of Others 279 Chapter 7: Your Curve Benders Roadmap 281 Acknowledgments 283 About the Author 287 Other Books by the Author 289 Relationship Economics – Forthcoming Third Edition (Wiley, 2021) 289 Co-Create (St. Martin’s Press, 2017) 290 Return on Impact (Jossey-Bass, 2013) 290 ConnectAbility (McGraw -Hill, 2010) 291 The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital (Praeger, 2009) 291 Index 293 EULA 307 **A personal growth roadmap guiding you into the future of relationships in work, life, play, and giving** __Curve Benders__ is a personal growth roadmap. It will guide you through the complicated intersection of work, life, play, and giving. Countless new forces will shape the future, so the strategic relationships we form in these areas of life are, of necessity, changing. This book will show you how to move into the future and dramatically alter your growth trajectory in both its direction and ultimate destination. David Nour, the author of __Relationship Economics__ and a top thought leader on business relationships, has identified 15 forces that will heavily influence what we do and how and where we engage our current and prospective relationships to create value and make a difference in the lives of others. This book aims to provide you with a step-by-step guide for personal, professional, and organizational growth. The author highlights how certain relationships enable a non-linear growth trajectory. These relationships, in addition to augmenting what we can accomplish, often shape who we become. These relationships are “curve benders,” and this book will show you who and where they are, how to find and engage them, and, equally valuable, how you can become a curve bender to impact the lives and livelihoods of others profoundly. * Gain insight into the value of your current strategic relationships and how they help you achieve your work, life, and giving goals * Reconceptualize relationships to identify the people with the power, not only to help you achieve but to change who you become * Learn how to become a “curve bender” who makes an outsized impact in the lives of others * Become better at finding and engaging people, navigating the 15 forces that are reshaping our world "Curve Benders is a personal growth roadmap at the intersection of the future of how we'll work, live, play, give, and our strategic relationships. The book will focus how strategic relationships can dramatically alter our growth trajectory in both its direction and ultimate destination against the forces that will shape the future of how we'll work, live, play, and serve others. The author's research has identified 15 forces which will heavily influence what we'll be doing, and how and where we'll engage our current and prospective relationships to create value and make a difference in the lives of others. To remain relevant, we'll need to upskill, reskill, and redeploy our knowledge, skills, and behaviors. None of us can predict the future. We can all plan our strategic path forward. The goal of Nour's research, interviews, and this book is to provide the reader with a roadmap for personal, professional, and organizational growth. Beyond a linear growth journey, the author highlights how certain relationships enable a non-linear growth trajectory. Beyond what we can accomplish, they often shape who we become. The relationships are "curve benders" and Nour describes who and where they are, how to find and engage them, and equally valuable, how one becomes a curve bender to profoundly impact the lives and livelihoods of others"-- Provided by publisher