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The 2018 Non-Obvious Book Awards – Top 50 Business Books Of The Year

The Non Obvious Book Award

Every year my team and I read and review hundreds of books in the process of curating ideas to incorporate in our annual list of trends. Beyond using those books to inspire how we see the world, we also select our favorites each year to feature as part of the Non-Obvious Book Awards program. For … Read more

How “The Backscratchers” Are Reinventing The Agency Model

Back when I worked in the agency world, I remember the angst every time an unreasonable demand came in from a client without a “proper” brief. Rather than try to change this sad reality of last minute requests (or complain about it behind the client’s back), “The Backscratchers” agency have created a model that embraces … Read more

Google Studies 180 Teams And Shares 5 Traits The Best All Share

After two years of studying 180 teams with the intent of finding why some achieve game changing success while others fail, Google recently shared some of their findings. The key, it turns out, comes down to five qualities: Dependability, Structure and Clarity, Meaning, Impact, and Psychological Safety. The last point is perhaps the most interesting, … Read more

Why Chief Marketing Officers Don’t Last

The tenure of most Chief Marketing Officers is woefully short, but this fact is often dismissed as a symptom of changing leadership or sometimes ineffective results. New research points to the fact that CMOs often suffer from vaguely defined job responsibilities and confusion between whether more strategic thinking or focus on commercialization (or a hybrid) … Read more

Why Jack Welch Might Be Overrated

While the business community loves to offer Jack Welch legendary status, this article shares that measuring his successor Jeff Immelt against that legacy may not be entirely fair. The analysis is a powerful reminder that success or failure can come from the circumstances that leader inherits as much as from what a leader does. It … Read more

Why America Needs Feminists (And Sweden Doesn’t)

This week a short but powerful piece from former model Paulina Porizkova casts a powerful light on the role of women in different cultures and her own struggles with being a woman first in the Czech Republic, then in Sweden and finally in her adopted home of America. Touching on sexuality, power, and politics – … Read more

How To Build Trust In An Era Of Desperate Truth Seeking Consumers

It is hard to get away from the feeling that we are being manipulated all the time. This week there were plenty of new stories of divisive characters losing their audience, brands trying new ways to be more truthful, and talk show host John Oliver trying to define reality itself. The theme this week is the … Read more

15 Non-Obvious Business Trends Shaping 2017 (Retail, Consumer, Tech, Marketing, and Media)

Are you a member of the media? Visit our media kit to download a trend summary and more information about requesting an interview with Rohit >> This week I launched the seventh edition of my annual trend report featuring all of my research from throughout the year on trends. Many of you have already picked … Read more

How To Avoid Getting Burned Out And The Most Important Thing To Buy (And Not Buy) This Black Friday

I hope you are having a week to be thankful for and spending it with family, whether you celebrate American Thanksgiving or not! My chosen stories this week range widely, from a potentially industry changing announcement from Airbnb to the rise of a new inclusive type of fashion that caters to people with physical disabilities. … Read more

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#1 WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author

In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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