Student Profile

Dave Nelson

Why did you decide to take Disruptive Strategy?

First, I'm a big fan of Professor Clayton Christensen and his blending of business and life into his teachings and strategies, so I was excited to get his perspective on disruption. Next, I'm always looking to develop my business mindset and discover new ways of thinking about strategy and disruption and how to apply them to my work.

What did you find most insightful about the course?

I found the course very rich in lessons and examples, and there were several I walked away with. I would say the two topics I keep with me consciously are the evolution of disruption and where my company lies on that continuum—or where our competition lies and the pros and cons of each.

The next was taking an emergent strategy to our business, and not being so hyper-focused on one strategy, especially if it isn't working. It's more important to allow the right strategy to emerge and then to focus on that while maintaining a broad and emergent perspective in the event a shift is needed again. I believe having an awareness of where our company sits on the innovation continuum, as well as consciously thinking of our strategy while keeping that broad and emergent perspective, are very key steps in achieving, first, the right strategy and, next, sustained success.

How do you plan to apply what you've learned in Disruptive Strategy to your career?

I use what I learned from the course every day! I feel like I have an unfair advantage now knowing what I've learned from this course. It's given me confidence and clarity in my decisions, and I can already see the material impact of applying this model and mindset to our business and culture.