Robert Safian

Recently, Netflix quietly deleted all the remaining user reviews on its service. And just like that, CEO Reed Hastings completed the latest shift in his company’s ever-evolving strategy: away from the wisdom of crowds in its content recommendations, in favor of the wisdom of the machine. The algorithm is now firmly in charge at Netflix—as it increasingly is across the economy.

The implications of artificial intelligence and the rise of the algorithm have never been more relevant, more important, or more complex. Discussion and consternation about AI have reached culture-wide status, and an essential, worthwhile dialogue. Yet in the big picture, the bottom-line is irrefutable: Tech’s newest wave is upon up, and there’s no going back.
Whether you run a big public company or a nascent startup, whether you are inside academia or in the nonprofit world, whether you oversee a team or contribute to the operations of an enterprise, understanding AI’s emergence is central for all of us. In this presentation, Robert Safian explores five lessons that underscore how AI and the algorithm are redefining business and organizational leadership—including the biggest lesson every leader and businessperson needs to grapple with to thrive in this era.

Modern business is pure chaos. To succeed in this climate requires a whole new approach. Organizations need to cultivate people who can thrive in an environment of constant change. They are the members of Generation Flux. Less a demographic designation than a psychographic one. Generation Flux describes a mindset that embraces instability and finds opportunity in disruption, recalibrating careers, business models, and assumptions.

Anyone can learn to be more GenFlux but the adjustments required are not simple. The vast bulk of our institutions -- educational, corporate, political -- are not built for flux. While many leaders talk about emphasizing agility, there is still an incomplete understanding of how to make that work.

Robert Safian, who coined the phrase Generation Flux, has delved deep inside cultures from Nike to Starbucks to Taco Bell, interviewing scores of GenFluxers, from established CEOs and leaders like General Stanley McChrystal to upstarts with diverse backgrounds and perspectives at places like Buzzfeed, FX Networks, Airbnb, Soulcycle and more. Safian offers a framework for understanding this rapidly changing playing field and compelling insights on how to recruit and empower GenFluxers to drive your future success.

With the rising pace of competition and ever-changing consumer demands, it can be very hard for business leaders to look toward the future. Robert Safian, editor of the award-winning innovative business magazine Fast Company, defines the important distinction of being "fast", and provides three distinct guidelines to help companies and business people determine how to ensure future success by incorporating elements of agility and adaptation. Audiences walk away with the tools necessary to assess and implement a "fast" approach to business.

This may be one of the most intriguing leadership speeches you will ever experience. Safian shares the inside stories of amazing leaders who have transformed their organizations and their industries in the face of constant change in culture and business.

He explores how and why these leaders view rapid changes as a vast pool of opportunities, and how they develop and coordinate a talented workforce to creatively capture these opportunities. Both inspiring and educating, Safian shares the tools and knowledge necessary to become breakthrough leaders.

In this informative and enlightening presentation, Fast Company magazine's award-winning editor Robert Safian shares his firsthand experience with the likes of Apple, Starbucks, and Under Armour, offering insights on today's most innovative companies. He shows how companies can thrive, even in tough times, by embracing the power of innovative ideas and creative execution.

Getting to the heart of the story and digging to find insights that will resonate long after your event is over is Robert Safian's specialty. One of the best interviewers of our generation, he deploys a warm, disarming style, able to weave hard-hitting topics and emotional reflections into a compelling narrative. He also has an innate ability to tie varying speeches and panels together into one central message, creating more effective and entertaining general sessions. Take the time to learn more.