Podcasts November 18, 2021

Pandemics, pivots and patience: BlackBerry’s John Chen on adapting to change

Goldy Hyder – President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Canada John Chen – Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, BlackBerry Limited

Digital Economy and Cybersecurity Jobs and Growth Skills and Talent

If there’s one word business leaders have heard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s “pivot.”

John Chen knows it better than many.

Long before the pandemic, BlackBerry’s Executive Chairman and CEO led the storied Canadian company through what he calls “a 180-degree flip” – from a hardware-centric business to a software-focused one.

In a conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Chen shares his experience and advice on adapting to change.

For Chen, lesson number one is the need for patience. Major transformations, he says, often take longer than expected.

He also emphasizes the need to focus on the end goal: “If you keep pivoting without a central theme, you definitely are going to fail.”

Listen to John Chen’s conversation with Goldy Hyder, in which they also discuss talent, risk-taking, and why pagers were once seen as a “badge of honour.”

““You really need to stay focused and stay on the course of what you believe in.” @BlackBerry CEO @JohnChen offers timely advice for entrepreneurs and leaders on how to quickly adapt to change in the latest episode of #SpeakingofBiz with @GoldyHyder.