“How can we prepare for unrelenting change and uncertain futures, before it is too late?” David Forman, a former UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz School Ph.D. student, provides answers to timely questions like this one in his recently released book for business leaders called Fearless Talent Choices: That Can Make or Break Your Business (May 2020).
Forman emphasizes the importance of preparing for “possible futures, now,” as exemplified by COVID-19. “It is [the job of leaders at all levels] to better prepare our organizations and improve readiness of the workforce,” Forman writes. His book equips business leaders to be ready to respond to disruptions in this ever-evolving world, be it a pandemic or Economy 4.0 (the imminent industrial revolution characterized by “smart” systems and artificial intelligence).
To do so, business leaders must capitalize on talent, what Forman deems an organization’s most valuable resource. He promotes a shift from thinking about an individual’s talent to favoring an interdependent organizational lens. Fearless Talent Choices guides leaders in effectively “unleashing” and leveraging the talent within their organization, thus improving both the workplace and business outcomes.
Forman synthesizes research and provides readers with tools, practical solutions, and interactive challenges for readers. The forward is by CEO of WD-40, Garry Ridge.
Forman received his bachelor’s degree from UCSB and studied international education at the Gevirtz School before eventually shifting from academia to the corporate workforce. He is the founder and President of a consultancy called Sage Learning Systems.
Forman is the Chief Learning Officer Emeritus of The Human Capital Institute (HCI), the Global Association for Talent Management, Strategic Human Resources, Workforce and Leadership Development, where he developed and taught courses that have been taken by over 10,000 HR professionals. He has over 25 years of experience in the training industry, having worked with organizations such as FedEx, IBM, Microsoft, American Express, PwC, Apple, and Prudential.
Forman is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. He has authored Fearless HR: Driving Business Results (Sage Learning Systems, 2015).