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Today marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the launch of Making Life Happen. This book is the one I would have loved to have read in my twenties, picked up again in my thirties, and used to remind myself about what was important in my forties. This book is your friend and companion, now available on Amazon today for just $1 USD. It encapsulates valuable insights and practical wisdom to empower you towards living a life of purpose. Here’s a breakdown of the book: 1. Understanding Your Priorities The foundation of living a fulfilling life lies in gaining clarity on what truly matters to you. In Making Life Happen, I emphasise the importance of identifying your core values and aspirations. While this may seem straightforward, it's often a challenging task that requires introspection and self-awareness. 2. Embracing Life's Transformative Moments Our lives are shaped by a series of moments, some chosen and others thrust upon us unexpectedly. Drawing from personal experiences, including overcoming loss and navigating various life transitions, I highlight the significance of resilience and adaptability in shaping our identities. 3. Lifelong Learning and Relationships The quality of our relationships and our commitment to continuous learning profoundly influence our personal growth. By viewing life as a series of interconnected experiences, we can leverage relationships and experiences to make informed choices and pursue meaningful connections. 4. Setting Intentions and Goals Moving beyond traditional New Year's resolutions, I advocate for setting intentions that align with your values and aspirations. These intentions serve as guiding principles, steering you towards fulfilling endeavours and rewarding outcomes. 5. Choosing Your Path In Making Life Happen, I offer readers insights to consider traditional and alternative career paths, including entrepreneurship. By leveraging our unique skills and experiences, we can create value in the marketplace and cultivate fulfilling careers aligned with our passions. 6. Marketing Yourself and Your Services For those embarking on entrepreneurial ventures, I offer practical advice on marketing strategies and client acquisition. Building a successful business entails effectively communicating your value proposition and cultivating strong client relationships. 7. Planning for the Future As we navigate the complexities of life, it's essential to envision our future selves and set goals that reflect our evolving aspirations. In the book's final sections, I share my outlook on the second half of life and the aspirations I aim to fulfil. In conclusion, Making Life Happen is not just a book—it's a roadmap to living with purpose and intentionality. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have shown interest in the book (it means more than you may know). Your support and enthusiasm inspire me to continue sharing my insights and experiences. For further inquiries or to avail of the $1(USD) offer on Amazon, hit reply to this email or contact me at david@changelead.com. Until next week… Let's continue making life happen, one intentional step at a time.

Today, I’m about to break one of my cardinal rules… (read to the end to learn what is!). For decades, I doodled on whiteboards… drew on A5s… sketched on a tablet… people took copies or photos and asked if I didn't mind sending these to them. Many referred to them as ‘Banger-isms’ (their chosen word and not mine!), and on April 11, Making Life Happen will be published with many of them included. This book is the one I would have loved to have read in my twenties, picked up again in my thirties, and used to remind myself about what was important in my forties. I went to the most credible source (CHAT GPT 😊) to provide ten reasons why somebody should read my latest book, and they sound pretty convincing. Here’s the summary… 1. Practical Insights for Personal Growth: Making Life Happen offers practical strategies for personal growth and explains how the 'dots' in your life can enable positive change. 2. Clear Guidance for Goal Setting: The book provides clarity on defining and pursuing goals, emphasising intentions to navigate life purposefully. 3. The Value of Lifelong Learning: Highlighting continuous self-improvement, it illustrates how embracing lifelong learning fosters personal and professional development. 4. Building Strong Relationships: The book enriches interpersonal connections by emphasising trusted confidants and meaningful bonds. 5. Career Development Strategies: Offering advice for employees and entrepreneurs, it guides career advancement with insightful stories and unique imagery. 6. Meaningful Life Outlook: By defining a meaningful outlook, readers gain a roadmap for fulfilment aided by vivid imagery. 7. Timeless Wisdom for Different Life Stages: Relevant across life stages, the book adapts to readers' evolving needs and priorities. 8. Re-Focus and Re-Balance: Essential for realigning priorities, the book guides readers through life's changes. 9. Accessible and Engaging: Its accessible style simplifies complex concepts, aided by relatable imagery. 10. Empowering and Motivational: Through its insights and imagery, the book inspires readers to seize control of their lives and pursue their aspirations. Everyone will know someone who could benefit from this book… Think of somebody who is wanting more, going through a change, or possibly wanting to clarify their direction. Followers Are Like Frequent Flyer Points... GREAT Until You Try To Use Them! Now I’m about to break my above rule - as on April 11, the book will be $1 on Amazon; incredible value! We’re trying to maximise the book's exposure to ensure it reaches those who could benefit. I have optimised keywords and categories on Amazon, but I need your help… If you’ve found my blog useful over the years, would you consider parting with a dollar next week?

As we embark on our first holiday break for 2024, it's a natural moment to reflect on our progress and the dynamics within our teams. How has your team performed this year? Many of us face significant expectations, and perhaps things haven't started as smoothly as anticipated. There are new and different obstacles, and a struggle to foster fresh meaningful ideas. When this is combined with a lack of collaboration, there is a need for a team get-together - this is where workshops can be incredibly valuable. Here are key indicators that your team could benefit from such a session: Legacy Thinking: A workshop can help break free from conventional thinking patterns if your team is stuck without generating new ideas. Communication Issues: Workshops improve dialogue, reducing miscommunications and ensuring everyone understands each other. Low Morale: Disengagement can hamper productivity; workshops can inject fresh perspectives and reignite motivation. Resistance to Change: In a rapidly evolving business landscape, workshops facilitate embracing new technologies and processes. Lack of Alignment: Conflicting goals lead to inefficiencies; workshops align objectives and foster a shared sense of purpose. Decline in Productivity: Missed deadlines and lagging projects signal productivity challenges that workshops can address. Don't let these issues hinder your team's potential. You may need to craft a tailored workshop to invigorate discussions and overcome hurdles, driving the team towards success. If you're grappling with any of these challenges and considering a workshop, feel free to reach out. Or you can view my workshop services here. Alternatively, explore models in the professional chapters of my upcoming book Making Life Happen, available for $1 starting April 11 (message me for more details).

Last year, I was one of the ten alumni invited by Swinburne to chat about our professional journeys and lives on the “Get Hungry” podcast with Lana Fried. A promo outtake of the podcast went viral on Instagram with 38K views. We discovered this from one of my daughter's friends! In the podcast, we spoke about me leaving school at sixteen, my mature student studies at Swinburne, my experiences as a Chief Information Officer (CIO) and digital exec, to now being a three-time author and respected speaker in the tech world. Many of the stories I shared in the podcast are from my upcoming book, Making Life Happen, which will be published on April 11th (read to the end of this blog for a very special offer!). Here's some of what we chatted about: 1. Where you begin is not permanent: We traced my path from beginning my career as a bank clerk, to executive roles, to where I am now—an author, advisor, and speaker in the global tech community. 2. The importance of setting goals: I stressed the importance of having clear goals - like my dream to switch gears from corporate life to becoming a thought leader and author. 3. Rolling with the punches: Despite hitting a few bumps in the road, I talked about how important it is to bounce back and keep going, especially when making the switch from corporate life to setting up your own business. 4. Cultural adventures: I shared some stories from my time living abroad and how those experiences shaped who I am today, both personally and professionally. 5. Turning dreams into reality: We talked about how I turned my dreams into reality by taking small regular steps towards those dreams. 6. Coming home: I discussed the challenges of returning to Australia after living in London for a decade and figuring out my place in the professional world here. 7. Work-life balance: We explored how it’s important to find that sweet spot between work and play, which is always a balancing act with a young family! 8. Leadership and diversity: Drawing from my time as a former CIO and digital exec, we talked about how diversity and leadership are so important in the tech world. 9. Family Ties: I shared some personal stories about how my upbringing and family have influenced my career and values. 10. Lightning Round: We wrapped things up with a quick-fire round of fun and quirky questions that gave a glimpse into my personal life. It was a great chat. You can listen to the podcast here. Finally, about the special offer - Making Life Happen will be $1 dollar on the 11th of April for those who register their interest here. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family!

As some of you may already know, my latest book, Making Life Happen, will be released on April 11th, and I couldn't be more excited to finally share it with the world. Making Life Happen is a project that's been close to my heart for quite some time now. It's the culmination of years of reflection, personal experiences, and insights gathered from both my professional and personal journey. I wanted to create something that would resonate with people from all walks of life, something that would inspire them to take control of their destinies and make the most out of opportunities presented to them. At its core, this book is all about helping you define what you want out of life and giving you the tools to go out and get it. Whether you're just starting out in your twenties, navigating the challenges of your thirties, or seeking to re-balance your life in later years, Making Life Happen has something for everyone. One of the key themes of the book is the idea of using key moments or 'dots’ in your life for good. These pivotal moments can often be overlooked, but they have the power to shape our destinies in profound ways. By recognising and harnessing these moments, we can propel ourselves forward and create the life we want. But it's not just about seizing opportunities; it's also about surrounding yourself with a supportive network of trusted confidants, creating a life of learning, and maintaining that special bond with a life partner. It's about navigating the ups and downs of your professional journey, whether you're growing a career as an employee or striking out on your own as an entrepreneur. Ultimately, Making Life Happen is a book that you can return to time and time again, whether you're in need of guidance, inspiration, or just a friendly reminder to stay true to yourself. Please, mark your calendars for April 11th, because this is one book you won't want to miss. Here's to making life happen, one moment at a time! Pre-order here!

As an executive navigating the ever-shifting landscape of technology and business strategy, I've noticed a trend: strategic planning timelines are shrinking, and the pressure for immediate results is mounting. That's why I'm embarking on a research study aimed at uncovering practical strategies for success in today's hyper-competitive market. In this study, we'll be tackling some of the most pressing issues facing modern organisations: 1. Creating Effective Strategic Plans We'll delve into the process of identifying organisational goals and translating them into actionable strategic plans, complete with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to keep teams on track. 2. Full Steam Ahead Mobilising teams into action is challenging, but we'll explore strategies to engage team members both intellectually and emotionally. 3. Making it Count Measurement and metrics are crucial for tracking the execution of strategies. We'll examine tools and techniques to ensure organisations are hitting their targets. But here's the thing – I can't do this alone. I need the insights of fellow leaders like you or within your network, and here are the questions we will consider. Whether you're a seasoned executive or a rising star in the tech world, your perspectives are invaluable. So, if you're interested in joining this study, reach out. Your participation could make all the difference. I plan to share the findings of strategic timelines and expectations later this year.

AI - everyone is talking about it. I delivered forty keynotes on the topic in 2023, making it my most requested keynote topic of the year. People’s interest in AI continues, and in January of this year, I began studying Artificial Intelligence at MIT. This blog breaks out AI history and why now. In the coming weeks I intend to demystify the topic. So - What is AI? - It's machines acting in ways that seem intelligent. MIT cites that AI has had four key waves. Here’s some history! 1. In 1956, a small group of scientists gathered for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, which was the birth of this field of research. Prior to this, Alan Turing developed the Turing Test in 1950; that if, within five minutes, a human couldn’t tell if it was a human or a computer, it was deemed intelligent. 2. In the 1960s, the first wave of AI involved problem reduction - breaking problems into simpler problems, then down to solvable problems. 3. In the 1970s, AI evolved to answer questions, subject to a set of conventions for situations, known as a ‘representation’. There were constraints with this AI because you needed to get the representation right! 4. Since the inception of AI, many expected AI at scale to be only fifteen years away. The progress was exciting for those working within the field, but AI didn’t realise its potential. As a result, investment in AI dried up in the mid-1980s and is known as the AI winter. 5. The third wave was in 2010 with Apple’s Siri and IBM’s Watson. This was made possible by lots of data and computing power. At this time, Geoffrey Hinton used gradient mathematics with great success for image detection. 6. The fourth wave involves CHAT GPT 3 and having AI at scale, with a million users within five days of its founding in November 2022. This deep learning neural network has over 175 billion machine learning parameters. The largest trained language model before GPT-3 was Microsoft's Turing Natural Language Generation (NLG) model, which had 10 billion parameters (early 2021). Why is AI happening now at scale? There are several reasons; the accumulation of large amounts of data, computational resources, large models are easier to train and flexible deep learning architectures. My blog in the coming weeks will break out these components … plus the differences between Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Robotics. If you have an upcoming event or team offsite, I’m continuing to deliver keynotes. You can learn more about these in the video above (it’s one of my best!) or contact me here.

Often technology strategies fail to resonate with their broader organisation. Earlier this month, I was chatting with an industry friend and occasional client. They were mobilising their team for 2024 and 2025, and their current technology strategy document wasn’t cutting it. It was too technical in places and focused on technologies rather than aspirations or outcomes. Here’s the strategy we created, which has resonated with their Executive Peers and the broader business. Enablement – Our organisation will be the enabler for delivery, applying resourcing specifically, swiftly, and smartly. Experimentation – The facilitation of experiments on emerging practices and technologies, qualifying their potential. Capability – Our people’s careers will be enhanced by offering experiences that deliver greater value. We will tenaciously seek to eliminate or automate menial work, creating greater capacity for the things that matter. Discipline – Prioritisation and delivery will be in partnership with the business. Together, we will achieve more important and meaningful outcomes. Future Scaling – We will have an eye on the horizon and proactively ensure our business is prepared and enabled. These were the five strategic themes, with a mission statement sitting above, and a business executive now sponsors each theme. An initiative program also sits below, with each initiative being aligned to a theme. Strategic workshops are one of my core offerings - read about these here or message me to learn more.

The Australian Government's 'Safe and Responsible AI in Australia' interim document was published in January. Projections indicate that AI and automation could contribute an additional $170-$600billion annually to Australia's GDP by 2030. However, despite the potential economic benefits, there's a prevailing concern regarding public trust in the safe and responsible design, development, deployment, and utilisation of AI systems. Recent surveys have shown that only one-third of Australians believe the nation possesses adequate measures to ensure the safe implementation of AI technologies. This has catalysed the government's commitment to addressing the issue through various measures. Internationally, several jurisdictions have taken proactive steps in AI governance. The United States has sought voluntary commitments from leading AI companies, while Singapore has introduced standardized self-testing tools, known as 'AI Verify,' to enable businesses to assess AI models against established principles. Similarly, Canada and the European Union are moving towards mandatory commitments for higher-risk AI systems via new legal frameworks. In response to identified gaps in current legislation that may not sufficiently prevent harms from AI deployment in high-risk contexts, The Australian Government is contemplating mandatory safeguards for developers and deployers of AI systems in these settings. This includes critical infrastructure, medical devices, education, law enforcement, and biometric identification systems, among others. The government aims to develop collaborative and transparent approaches to implementing safety guardrails, considering both amendments to existing laws and the possibility of a dedicated legislative framework. Additionally, the government plans to work with industry to establish a voluntary AI Safety Standard and explore options for labelling and watermarking AI-generated materials. Further actions will focus on preventing harms through testing, transparency, and accountability; clarifying and strengthening laws to safeguard citizens; working internationally to support safe AI development and deployment; and maximizing the benefits of AI through national capability development and adoption initiatives. Overall, the Australian Government's interim response underscores its commitment to fostering a safe and responsible AI ecosystem, guided by principles of risk-based, collaborative, and transparent governance, with a strong emphasis on community well-being and international cooperation. Want more key insights on the world of AI? Read last week’s blog on some AI learnings I had in 2023 through discussing and working with clients on the topic.

In 2023, I presented or facilitated about forty AI sessions with some of the most senior business and technology executives across APAC. I’m not an expert in the topic, however, I have arrived at some key conclusions. The first of which is that everyone is still finding their feet on the topic. Here are ten insights that will help anyone considering what AI means for their business: 1. Data is the fuel; a data strategy is critical to any AI initiative. Policies will be required for content creation and production (they are different). 2. Personalised content creation (data) will determine the potential of AI, as being solely dependent on the content of others will result in vanilla answers. Content creation is the data that sits within the tool. 3. Production content will vary across user profiles, and not everything will be made available to everyone. 4. Consider experimenting within IT initially, considering allowing the IT team to become practical experts before unleashing more broadly or selected pilot user groups. 5. Licensing could become expensive; consider who is using what AI tool and who should be using it for their role. 6. AI sprawl is a scenario that needs to be considered, with every vendor having a solution on their tool. What content will be available to these? 7. If you are in a conservative industry, you may not be progressive with your use of AI. You could, however, be industry-leading with your policy. Don’t dismiss the impact this could have. 8. Impartial and independent advice on AI is scarce; professional services (many who are AI system implementers) and technology companies have conflicting interests. 9. If you’re uncertain whether to undertake an activity to determine the ethical / moral consequences of the use of data and decision-making, consider “what-if” scenarios. What would my customers think if they knew their data was being used in this manner? 10. Government policy and industry directions are emerging; however, they are not holistic. Consider what you do beyond these. As per my Cybersecurity services, I’ll be establishing some AI in 2024 after I complete MIT’s AI for Business Strategy. What do you think is missing from the above list?

I met with over 100 CIOs in 2023, and the nature of our conversations differed from the beginning to the end of the year. The 2024 technology outlook is beyond AI. The conversations in early 2023 were predominately about; Inflationary pressures and a need for predictability of costs. This was being driven by technology companies and their cloud services. Many CIOs were exploring hybrid environments for greater cost certainty. Cybersecurity - more specifically, many of the questions posed to CIOs were by company directors seeking confidence in Cyber resilience (how secure are we?) and recovery (how we reinstate services). From the middle to the end of the year, the conversations had changed, and five key themes emerged; Contemporary strategy with meaningful alignment into the future direction of the business. Some CIOs created a digital strategy, and others updated their technology strategy. My logical delineation is that a digital strategy is predominantly about business (i.e., for customers and partners) and externally facing, while a technology strategy is primarily internal. Funding was available for strategies, and releasing the funds was based on clear milestones being met. Governance was tight, and regular updates were required, but funding was not the issue, which led me to the next point… Organisational redesign became a priority. There is not a plethora of experienced and willing people available. Involving people within key strategic initiatives to build their careers became a key retention lever. ESG, boards and executives are taking a greater interest in initiatives and data available to determine progress. This will continue to be a focus for 2024. AI - everyone is talking about it, but few are doing it. I delivered over thirty presentations on the topic. It is evident that CIOs don’t know who to truly trust on AI initiatives, with tech and professional services companies pushing their agendas. Many organisations realised after my keynote that quality data fuels their AI begins with data. I will be sharing more about AI in upcoming blogs. Over the summer, I updated both my websites: my author site, www.davidbanger.com, and my business site, www.changelead.com. Throughout 2024, I’m now more available for workshops, keynotes, and strategic services after concluding a major contract in December. Have a great 2024, and feel free to contact me here if you’re interested in working with me.

Season greetings! While working at Microsoft within International IT, I learned how the Gates Foundation was ending the poverty cycle through education. Specifically, girls education. Much of my work now is about understanding and evolving systems within an organisation (not technology, but systems thinking), and educating girls is one of the key things that helps a country reduce poverty. Systems thinking is explored in my book Finding A Better Way. So this year, as we have done since 2020, we have donated to ONE GIRL, a charity that educates girls in the poorest countries in the world. The best part is that our donation was made on a 'dollar match' day (here), meaning our donation had double the impact 🎉 132 million girls around the world are denied an education 11 million girls may not return to school because of disruptions during COVID-19 One girl to every two boys graduates high school 39% of girls are married before their 18th birthday 13% of girls are married before age 15 However: A girl's income will increase by 20% with EVERY YEAR of schooling A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five A country's GDP rises by 3% when 10% more girls attend school As a father of three, with the two eldest being young women aged 18 and 16, this makes me very uncomfortable and is another reason why we give to ONE GIRL. Want to learn more? Watch this one-minute video from Global Citizen, or this three-minute video from Girl Effect. I am away for much of January, so the regular blog will resume on February 2. I hope you enjoy a restful break, and send my best wishes for 2024.