The word disruption gets thrown around a lot these days. After all, there seems to be few industries not impacted by some sort of disruption, whether by the internet, changing business models, new customer expectations, or all of the above.   This phenomenon is behind the passions of Julie Williamson, PhD, co-author of the book Matter: Move Beyond the Competition, Create More Value, and Become the Obvious Choice. Would you believe the average Fortune 500 company’s lifespan has dropped from 50 years to just 15? Companies that maintain longevity have discovered that leaning into this constant disruption is essential. To win and ultimately “become the obvious choice,” you’ve got to matter more than your rivals. Using more than 30 case studies, Julie and her co-author Peter Sheahan show how boldly embracing the disruptions that impede business-as-usual helps lead to long-term survival. The organizations that win constantly examine and solve the life-altering challenges of their customers, partners and employees.  Join in on our chat below Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS In today’s episode, Julie and I discuss: * The roles that challenging assumptions and taking an optimistic view of the future play in moving beyond the competition * The necessary beliefs that, when embraced, will set your company apart * How to go far beyond the buy/sell relationship * …and much more! This Episode is Sponsored By Cloud Accounting Software FreshBooks FreshBooks is currently offering a month of unrestricted use to to all RtLP listeners – totally free right now. And, you don’t need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month, click here and be sure and enter ReadToLead in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section. If your business uses Freshbooks, and you’d like to share your experience with the Read to Lead audience, click the contact tab at the top of this page and let us know. Be sure and include “FreshBooks” in the subject line. Julie’s Latest Book You can order your copy of Matter: Move Beyond the Competition, Create More Value, and Become the Obvious Choice right now. Julie in Action Books Julie Recommends The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg Julie’s Resources The best place to find out more about Julie is at his website. Here, you can pick up a copy of Julie’s new book. Find out more about hiring Julie to speak here.