It pays to open the mind and heart to new and different ways of presenting.  This is especially so when presenting before an audience in another country.

Cultural and language differences can transform a familiar scenario into one freighted with unpredictable difficulties in communication, but it also opportunities for learning new techniques.

And so I launch my week-long Russian sojourn, with business consulting seminars in the city of Izhevsk, Russia.  An oil city of 700,000 people located about 900 kilometers east of Moscow, Izhevsk boasts a major university that is innovative and progressive – Udmurt State University.

I’ve always had superb experience lecturing bright young Russians at the university over the past 11 years, and I expect that this time will be no different.  Lectures on Business Strategy, Foreign Policy, and History will alternate with delightful sessions of the ubiquitous and exquisite Russian hospitality.

I hope to share insights upon my return.  I’m certain they will be made known to me . . . I learn something new on each visit.

I feel especially powerful today.