Member Article

Business leaders to learn from pirates, psychopaths & mathematicians at London retreat

Experts on piracy, psychopathy and mathematics are to speak with business leaders at a unique people and innovation experience to be held in London at the end of April.

Acclaimed business authors Kyra Maya Phillips and Kevin Dutton will discuss what gangsters, pirates, hackers and psychopaths can teach businesses about innovation and leadership at PurpleBeach 2014.

Speaking on the same bill is Professor Marcus du Sautoy, an expert on how mathematics, data and theories such as the Wisdom of Crowds can help leaders plan for the future using Google and Twitter.

Announcing the experience, PurpleBeach founder Annemie Ress, stated: “This is a very different kind of leadership and innovation experience, the ultimate antidote to the business evil of group think. We are looking to challenge, shock and inspire leaders to consider new ways of doing business, based on potentially life-changing conversations with people that see the world differently.”

“Misfits and non-conformists are most prepared to challenge the status quo, and have therefore achieved some of the greatest breakthroughs in innovation. It is at the extremes that we find those with the passion, courage and resilience to withstand what the world has to throw at them and succeed despite significant chaos, conflict and complexity.

“Psychopaths are often confident, charismatic and ruthless, qualities that are tailor-made for success in today’s business environment. Without condoning it, we can also learn by observing criminal behaviour, and see how those unencumbered by mainstream notions of the boundaries adapt to find lucrative new niches.”

200 business leaders from around world are expected to attend PurpleBeach 2014 to discuss leadership, innovation, decision making, passion, courage and learning with diverse people they wouldn’t ordinarily meet. They will attend classes in voice coaching and improvisation and take crash courses in neuroscience, anthropology and entrepreneurial psychology.

“It is essential for the modern leader to talk regularly with people that see their world differently and develop new skills to succeed in this world of uncertainty,” comments Ress.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Taylor .