Rebecca D. Costa is an American
sociobiologist and futurist. She is a world-renowned expert on "fast
adaptation" in complex environments, and a recipient of the prestigious
Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Award. Her work has been featured in
the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The
Guardian, and other leading publications. Costa also hosted a popular
syndicated radio program, The Costa Report, and writes a weekly
column, The Fix, for Newsmax.
Costa was the founder and CEO of one of the
largest technology marketing firms in California, where she developed an
extensive track record of introducing disruptive, bleeding edge technologies.
Her clients included industry innovators
such as Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, Oracle, Siebel Systems, General
Electric, 3M, and others. She has been on the forefront of technological and
scientific innovation for more than four decades.
Yet she retired at the zenith of her career
in Silicon Valley to tackle one of the biggest challenges in human history:
What causes leaders to make decisions which
lead to failure and collapse…
…and how do we assure that we make better
decisions in the future.
Years of research on these issues
culminated in two international bestsellers, The Watchman's Rattle: A
Radical New Theory of Collapse, and her newest book, On the Verge (shooting
to the top of Amazon's #1 New Business Releases). Considered by many as
the greatest One-Two punch ever in the field of leadership decision-making,
Costa taps science: she uses history to dissect the collapse of great nations
and organizations; explores neuroscience to uncover the depth of the human
“thinking”; digs into complexity theory to explain the exponential growth in
data and intricate connections; highlights the rapidly advancing technologies
aimed at better, faster decision-making; and much more.
The result is an incredibly enlightening
exploration of modern leadership decision-making that makes the difference
between success and failure.
It's no longer enough to be nimble,
innovative, and quick—not enough to rack up 10,000 hours of experience, master
the 7 habits of successful people, or transform ourselves into 1-Minute
managers. These skills are no match for a firm knowledge of how humans make
decisions, and the ability to foresee and manipulate future outcomes, events,
and trends to our advantage - which is what big data, predictive analytics,
artificial intelligence, and light-speed communications have equipped leaders
to do.
A global thinker in the mold of Alvin
Toffler, Jared Diamond, Ray Kurzweil, and Thomas Friedman, Costa also has a
flair for fun, creating a rare combination that is both teacher and
entertainment in one package.