Having recently attended PwC's Digital Disruption event in Manchester, I can say I left feeling not only more positive towards disruption, but much more aware of how I can play my part. Disruption affects every sector and it is the speed of change that is most significant.

I thought I would share a few of my takeaways from the event.

Autotrader's Alison Ross explains how change must be embraced by all employees, not just the younger generation. During their transformation from print to a completely online business, their head count went down from around 4,000 to 800. They had to be fairly ruthless in their cuts and those that embraced disruption were in a much better position. They have created a culture that embraces change and are a brilliant success story of a company that disrupted themselves before someone else disrupted them!

Sales Sharks' Strength and Conditioning Coach Rick Swaby gave a fascinating insight into how digital disruption is shaping the way rugby clubs are training their players. Everything is tracked from the meters made in a game, to the number of tackles missed. And while Mark Cueto said he was initially worried that this data could be used to penalise them, Rick insists it is only for their benefit and safety. In the workplace, embracing disruption can make you work smarter and it can help identify your strengths and weaknesses. 

A theme running throughout PwC's presentation was that disruption has to be created. Because of course, there was nothing wrong with the black cab business model before Uber came along.  Habit change isn't easy, but with the right sponsors and individuals creating that cultural norm around disruption, we can really take advantage of the enormous opportunity that the digital disruption age is presenting us.

The article below is a great read and identifies 15 emerging technologies with a wide range of disruptive potential.