Aubrey Chapnick is a Client Services Executive at Speakers’ Spotlight. In the post below, he recounts a recent presentation he attended by Business and Technology Visionary, Leonard Brody:
Let’s face it, to many of us, the future is scary! Not knowing what is going to happen in the coming days, months or years can definitely unnerve even the least risk adverse people! Thankfully, here at Speakers’ Spotlight, we are always thinking about the future!
Whenever we arrange an engagement for any of our clients, we always begin with the end in mind. This means we focus on what our client’s ultimate end goal is, and how we can meet it the most effective way. It’s this post-event focus that guides our conversations when determining the right speaker for each of our clients.
With this in mind, I can’t help but share an amazing experience I had this summer when I saw one of our futurist speakers, Leonard Brody, speak at the Microsoft headquarters.
Leonard walked the audience through how rapid technological advances are drastically altering the way we engage with the world around us. Leonard drew from his expertise as a technology entrepreneur and a venture capitalist to illustrate the staggering changes that new technologies are driving in the world of business, and how important it is to pay attention to new developments.
What I found particularly interesting about Leonard’s discussion was how he highlighted the emerging dualities in identity that are forming between a person’s “online persona” and their real selves.
Leonard explained how in the online world, most people are able to meticulously craft an online identity using selective content (pictures, tweets, blogs, etc.). These web tools enable people to manipulate how they are perceived by others.
The emergence of this seeming “multiple-personality disorder” has fundamentally altered the way people now interact with both both one another and themselves. As a result, we live in an increasingly connected–yet disconnected—world, which, as Leonard explains, carries substantial business and societal implications.
Leonard ended his presentation by observing that these trends have been primarily driven by the level of attachment people have with current technology (particularly smartphones). He concluded that we are just beginning to see the consequences of these new technologies and how they will continue to play out in the business and social arenas in the coming years.
I suppose, now, each of us must ask if our “online selves” are representative of our real selves? Does your LinkedIn-self differ from your Facebook-self and how true are these selves to the authentic “you”? With this in mind, I must say that if I ever get the chance to speak with you, feel free to check me out online! I promise that what you’ll find is the real me!