Historian-turned businessman, Dr Nikolaus Eberl -IMAGE : GIFT NDOLWANE

By MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG – COMPANIES looking for innovation secrets to reinvent their categories, disrupt their respective industries and remain ever relevant, the key to the future lies in history and a book that has been inspired by one of the continent’s most prominent kings.
Disruptive Innovation: Impi Ebomvu, a book that aims to inspire businesses to remain relevant amid cut-throat competition across businesses, written by historian-turned businessman, Dr Nikolaus Eberl, has been launched in Johannesburg.
It encourages companies to change the nature of their operations the same way Zulu King, Shaka kaSenzangakhona (c1787- 1828), revolutionised the nature of warfare through a number of innovations.
Eberl’s work, which pays homage to Steve Jobs (the world’s foremost disruptive innovator) challenges innovators to explore how they can apply King Shaka’s innovation secrets to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
Published by the Academy Press, the 260-page book chronicles how Shaka was born out of wedlock in and how the world’s greatest innovators of recent times his military innovations, from weaponry to battle formations and revolutionary new societal norms to conquer hitherto unassailable industries, vanquish established market leaders and billion-dollar brands in record time.
Eberl mentions such industries Airbnb, Instagram, Snapchat, Sportify, Square, Uber and Whatsapp.
“In the highly-competitive world, its either you disrupt or you are disrupted,” he said in an interview with CAJ News Africa in Johannesburg.
Disruptive Innovation: Impi Ebomvu (red war) is a result of 20 years of research by Eberl.
He explained Impi Ebomvu was the term Shaka used to explain his new strategy of fighting decisive battles and never leaving an enemy behind.
“These strategies have today become the playbook of disruptive innovation,” said Eberl.
“It is my hope Impi Ebomvu secrets and their modern day application by the new market leaders in an effort to become the disruptor or before getting disrupted yourself.”
The launch, held in conjunction with the Geness Foundation, is the precursor of the establishment of the King Shaka Academy in South Africa.
It is aimed at keeping the legacy of the erstwhile Zulu king alive.
The academy will consist of King Shaka Campus in his KwaZulu-Natal homeland, Online Academy and Exchange Programme.
“It is a legacy that extends far beyond military conquests, territorial expansion and countless battlefields,” said Eberl.
“It is a legacy best described by a term that has recently gained notorious acclaim in the business literature of the 21st century-disruptive innovation.”
Eberl is the author of the bestselling book, “BrandOvation: How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding” and the sequel “The Hero’s Journey: Building a Nation of Champions.”
He has co-authored “The Izicwe Code”, and “Movement Marketing: The Amabutho System”, “Intenorvate or Die” all influenced by King Shaka.
He holds a PhD from the Free University of Berlin and a Postgraduate Diploma from The John Hopkins University, Baltimore. Eberl is a former University of KwaZulu-Natal lecturer.
– Guardian