5. We live in a hyper-connected world (Facebook, Twitter, and other social media have helped make traditional marketing and PR no longer relevant)In conclusion there was a lot to learn at the World Business Forum, and I “soaked in” as much as possible. The experience was excellent and I hope future students of SLC have the same opportunity and privilege to attend.<br />By: Owen Lockington<br />For: Pam Armstrong<br />
![The World Business Forum Report<br />I was very excited to be offered the opportunity to view the world business forum at the Cineplex theatre. This event provided speakers with expert knowledge and experience in the field of business and marketing. Having Kingston business owners present at the viewing provided potential connections for placement or career opportunities. Overall the experience was great and I hope to see this event continue in the future.<br />The speaker I was most intrigued by was Malcolm Gladwell, who was very expressive and told effective stories to get his point across. His focus was on risk, and how operational risk is very different from social risk. The story about the doctor who found the cure for leukemia was a great example of social risk. The treatment he was providing to the children was dangerous and untested. The doctor saw that 100% of children with Leukemia died, so he attempted the controversial treatment because he truly believed it would work. Even though everyone else called him crazy, he pursued what he knew to be right. Another great example of social risk was when IKEA moved their manufacturing to another country that had cheaper labour and material costs, but was involved in political conflict. There was no operational risk, but the social risk of doing business with that country was big.<br />Bill George spoke about leadership and how you should be an authentic leader, and not just emulate other great leaders. I particularly liked the outline of what a leader has to do: Align, empower, serve, and collaborate. These gave a strong understanding of what the role of a leader really is. I also learned about True North witch is a person’s most deeply held values. <br />Tal Ben-Shahar emphasized the importance of focusing on what works. Sometimes people are too caught up with what’s going wrong that they never take the time to focus on what the organization is doing well at. This doesn’t mean we should ignore the problems, it just means look at the elements that you excel at as well. He also spoke about the importance of asking the right questions as opposed to finding the right answer. He outlined 4 main characteristics of leaders that can come naturally but can also be taught or learned.<br />,[object Object]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lockingtonwbf2011-1318705387-phpapp01-111015140318-phpapp01/85/Lockington-Wbf2011-1-320.jpg)
