The Digital Marketing Podcast
Episode Summary: Futureproof – How to Get Your Business Ready for the Next Disruption
Hosts: Ciaran Rogers (A), Daniel Rowles
Guest: Minter Dial, co-author of Futureproof
Release Date: September 2, 2017
Episode Overview
This episode explores the critical topic of business disruption and organizational readiness in a rapidly changing digital world. Minter Dial, an experienced global business leader and co-author of Futureproof: How to Get Your Business Ready for the Next Disruption, shares insights from the book. The discussion covers the most disruptive technologies and mindsets, provides practical strategies for leaders and entrepreneurs, and emphasizes the importance of purposeful transformation at both the personal and organizational level.
Key Topics and Insights
1. Introducing Minter Dial and the Purpose of Futureproof
- Minter's Background: A self-described “connector, storyteller, and someone who likes to elevate the debate,” Minter has lived in 15 countries and shifted homes 34 times. Change is central to his worldview. (00:35)
- Book’s Focus:
- Co-written with Caleb Storkey, the book curates 15 critical disruptive forces—12 technologies and 3 mindsets.
- Aim: Offers both an understanding of disruption and an actionable roadmap for organizations and leaders of all sizes. (01:29)
- Notable Quote:
“The ambition of the book is A) to carefully curate what are the most disruptive forces, and B) provide a strong roadmap action plan for brands, leaders, and entrepreneurs to know what to do about them.”
— Minter Dial (01:29)
2. The Partnership Dynamic: Minter and Caleb
- Complementary Skillsets:
- Minter brings corporate, strategic, and big-picture thinking; Caleb offers a pragmatic, entrepreneurial, and creative approach.
- Their collaboration blends theoretical and practical perspectives. (02:27)
- Memorable Moment:
“Whereas Minter sometimes adds these large multisyllabic words, Caleb just brings back down to brass tacks. And that is the beautiful mix that we've created together.”
— Minter Dial (03:14)
3. Understanding Disruption: Forces and Mindsets
- Technologies vs. Mindsets:
- Technologies include AI, autonomous vehicles, IoT, Big Data (some “not necessarily new”).
- Three pivotal mindsets: meaningfulness, responsibility, and collaboration. These are even more disruptive than technology swings. (03:36)
- Organizational Implications:
- Internal culture (“digital hygiene”) matters as much as external initiatives. Leaders must engage in the digital world themselves—not just delegate.
- Employees should be “number one customers, number one fans.” (04:12)
- Quote:
“The responsibility for the leadership is also to be acting themselves and learning and doing it themselves...it starts with your own digital hygiene and understanding.”
— Minter Dial (05:21)
4. Addressing Complacency About Disruption
- Complacency is Dangerous: Disruption affects all industries, not just a select few.
- Illustrative Example:
- The arms race in autonomous vehicles: Tesla versus Ford, and the consequences of taking disruption seriously (or not). (06:33)
- Disruption extends to adjacent sectors—cities, employee commutes, productivity, etc.
- Quote:
“If you're not thinking at some point, how can I leverage my business and/or the comfort and satisfaction of my employees with autonomous cars...then you're going to miss a beat.”
— Minter Dial (07:41)
5. Digital Transformation: Beyond the Bandwagon
- True Transformation:
- Most companies claim to be digitally transforming, but genuine change requires leaders’ personal commitment and experience.
- The strategy must be clear and shared—otherwise, organizations chase every shiny object and dilute focus.
- Quote:
“It has to start with the individuals, especially at the top of the company...they need to be going out...and do the experience.”
— Minter Dial (11:54)
6. The Three Disruptive Mindsets
a. Meaningfulness (Sense of Purpose)
- Definition: Connecting daily actions to a higher organizational or personal purpose beyond making money.
- Importance: Drives engagement, reduces burnout, and fosters long-term success.
- Application: Can be embedded at micro (task) and macro (organizational values) levels. (14:28)
- Quotes:
“If you can inject meaningfulness into what you're trying to do, it's going to help move your cruise liner to be more powerful and more effective.”
— Minter Dial (14:44)
“Finding your North Star...shared by everybody, is also different from others.”
— Minter Dial (18:32)
b. Responsibility
- Personal and Organizational: Individuals are encouraged to take self-responsibility for digital skills and security as a foundation for larger transformation. (23:48)
c. Collaboration
- Breaking Silos: Recognize interrelatedness of disruptive forces; form alliances to combine expertise and create tailored strategies.
- Quote:
“There’s no way you can be the expert of all of them. So you need by definition to be working with external experts and parties.”
— Minter Dial (25:45)
7. The PIE Model for Action (23:48)
- P (Personal): What you personally will do next.
- I (Internal): Steps for your internal team or organization.
- E (External): Actions to engage with outside stakeholders.
- Purpose: Each book chapter ends with this framework to prompt concrete action beyond theory.
8. Real-World Stories and Company Culture
- Personal Stories: Adding them makes digital and organizational concepts more relatable.
- Case Example: “The Precious Recipe” at Liz Earle Skincare—core values embedded in business culture for decision-making and growth. (19:34)
- Quote:
“The key is twofold. One is expressing that recipe and breaking it down into specific actions, behaviors, vocabulary, rites, rituals, signals...The second thing is it has to be led and operated by walk to the talk.”
— Minter Dial (21:12)
Memorable Quotes & Key Timestamps
-
On Leadership and ‘Digital Hygiene’
“If you commission an agency to do a Facebook program for you, but you don’t know what it’s like to have that rude thing pop up in your stream, then...programs ...won’t be quite as effective.”
— Minter Dial (05:34) -
On Energy and Change
“Change is for sure, growth is the option.”
— Minter Dial (26:50, quoting mentor Sam Villa) -
On the Purpose of the Book
“At the very least, they’re going to gain a few case studies that they haven’t heard about...another energetic step in their walk by looking for something more meaningful, by feeling more responsible...and by collaborating.”
— Minter Dial (27:10) -
On the Exponential Pace of Change
“I certainly don't know what the future exactly holds, but I know it's going to be radically different at a faster pace than it is today.”
— Minter Dial (29:27)
Suggested Actions for Listeners
- Leaders should personally experience disruptive technologies, not just analyze them.
- Embed meaningfulness, responsibility, and collaboration into company culture.
- Use the PIE (Personal, Internal, External) model to translate insight into action.
- Regularly revisit organizational “North Star” and align all team members around it.
- Prepare for ongoing, unpredictable disruption—futureproof not through prediction, but through flexibility and mindset.
Closing
This episode is rich with actionable frameworks, vivid examples, and urgent calls for self-directed learning and adaptation. Futureproof invites both leaders and employees to become architects of positive disruption, fostering environments where change leads to meaningful growth and resilience—for individuals and organizations alike.
Where to Find the Book:
- Launching September 7, 2017, on all major e-retailers (e.g., Amazon), more info at futureproof.ly
Connect with Minter Dial:
- Twitter: @mdial
- LinkedIn: Minter Dial (mention context when connecting)