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by Deborah Westphal (Author), Beth Comstock (Foreword by)
What does it mean to be human-centric?
The Convergence is here. Each day the human race becomes more connected and interdependent. There is no longer a choice in the matter. There is no turning back. All aspects of human life are rapidly converging at an intersection of people, business, and environment. With potential for either a historic integration or catastrophic collision, leaders have two clear choices: remain committed to profits above all else; or shift to a human-centric approach that embraces this convergence. Author Deborah Westphal, a leader in future-focused strategy, leverages her experiences working with some of the world's most innovative business leaders, to show how the interests of people (as human beings, not customers), overlap with those of companies in ways never before seen. Convergence charts the path forward for those leaders―particularly in business―who seek to shift to a human-centric mental model. This approach addresses realities from our converging world not necessarily related to a company's business operations, often integrating a tangible response with a change in the company's core values. Simply put, to be human-centric prioritizes the success of people and redefines success for a company. "Westphal's Convergence is a call to action to create the future of humanity rather than stand by. Her words of wisdom and lessons shared cannot be more timely than in this very moment when humanity is in crisis. In the midst of COVID-19, environmental disaster, and ever accelerating technological change, Convergence makes the case for authentic leadership and challenges us to rethink our primary purposes of doing business: to serve humanity." -- Diana Rau, Chief Experience Officer & Cofounder, twine.nyc Forbes 30 Under 30Author Biography
Deborah Westphal's career spans more than 30 years, government agencies and Fortune 100 companies, and virtually every continent. A passionate humanist and life-long learner, she has dedicated her work to guiding our era's top minds and leaders to see and pursue the future with a sense of realistic caution and optimism. In 1999, Alvin Toffler tapped her as one of the founding members of his eponymous consulting firm. Since that time, she has guided leaders across the globe to challenge biases, ignite ideas, and build connections and resilience for a secure and sound future. The list of organizations she has supported includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Marriott, U.S. Air Force, Baxter International, Bayer, Heinz, Microsoft, Koppers, PPG, DARPA, National Security Agency (NSA), Loral Space Systems, NASA, Qwest, Verizon, and Westinghouse. Deborah is an active speaker who has presented perspectives on human-centric leading to numerous organizations. She has authored hundreds of short-form essays and blogs, numerous talks, and the Foreword for After Shock, a collection of future-focused essays.
