Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Why Real Innovation Starts with You

From Business Books to Boardroom Battles—A Personal Journey of Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone and Into Strategic Reinvention

Disrupt or Be Disrupted—we’ve all heard the phrase. Yet if it’s so widely understood, why do so many established companies still fall victim to the next startup, the next shift, the next wave? The truth is, disruption doesn’t begin in the market—it starts from within.

This isn’t just a story of changing business models. It’s a story of transforming yourself. And I’ve lived it.

Stepping Beyond the Comfort Zone

I’ve spent decades in front of executive audiences, in C-suites around the globe, and in classrooms at some of the world’s top business schools—Cornell, Yale, London Business School, and UNC. As an author of two bestselling business books with a third on the way, and founder of a boutique consulting firm, I was firmly established in my “swim lanes.”

But I stepped out. Twice. Deliberately.

From Business Author to Fiction Writer: Alongside David Edelheit, I co-authored Scarlett’s Revenge, a corporate thriller packed with strategy insights and linked to an interactive website. Think The Goal meets Succession. One problem: I had never written fiction before.

From Ivory Tower to Industry: I joined the leadership team at Knapp Capital Management (KCM), a forward-thinking real estate investment firm. Moving from professor to practitioner is rare—this was a leap into the unknown.

Both transitions challenged everything I thought I knew about strategy, change, and leadership. And both drove home one truth:

If you don’t disrupt yourself, someone—or something—will.

Scarlett’s Revenge: Fiction Rooted in Reality

In Scarlett’s Revenge, two former best friends become enemies. Scarlett, once loyal, now swears to destroy Victoria’s business from the inside. It’s not just a plot device—this happened. In real life.

What would you do if your trusted lieutenants left to create a better-funded competitor with one goal: to dismantle your company?

This narrative is a strategic wake-up call. It echoes real business tragedies—Blockbuster, Borders, Kodak—once kings of their domains, now cautionary tales of resistance to change.

Ten Commandments of Disruption

Through fiction, consulting, and lived experience, I’ve distilled ten core lessons about disruption:

Be Paranoid
Intel’s Andy Grove said it best: “Only the paranoid survive.” Assume you’re being targeted—and prepare.
Be Humble
You can’t see every threat. Find those who can. Humility sharpens your vision.
Disrupt Yourself
Are you addicted to your current success model? Most leaders are. Break the cycle before someone else does it for you.
Customer First
Kodak was in the memory business, not film. Understand enduring needs, not temporary solutions.
Focus Matters
Disruptors aim at one thing. Incumbents spread thin. Choose your battles—and your goals—wisely.
Prioritization Matters
Resources are limited. Focus them where they matter most.
Leverage Strategic Control
Own the part of the value chain that others need. When you hold the keys, use them before the door closes.
Align Vertical Incentives
Partnerships across the value chain (think IoT or shared data systems) create mutual success.
Create a ‘Hamburger Problem’
Scrappy startups fight to survive. Give your team hunger. Incentivize urgency.
Watch Your Canary
Have someone close to the ground. When they warn you—listen.

The Toughest Opponent: You

David Edelheit, creator of EY-Parthenon’s The Toughest Opponent, leads executives through immersive strategy simulations. Leaders play the part of their own competitors—forced to think like the enemy. These simulations unearth blind spots, challenge assumptions, and ultimately teach one powerful lesson:

The most dangerous threat to your business isn’t your rival. It’s your reluctance to reinvent from within.

Final Thought: The Real Battlefield

Disruption is not just a business challenge—it’s a personal one. It starts with leaving what’s comfortable. With writing the book you never thought you could write. With taking a role you never thought you’d take.

Disrupt yourself. Or prepare to be disrupted.

The future belongs to those brave enough to rewrite their own rules—before someone else does it for them.