Open your mind to tech success

This weekend, my niece graduated (distantly) from Fordham University, my alma mater. This sparked memories of my time there, where I learned the tenets of Jesuit thinking and values.

My years at Fordham instilled in me the importance of having the intellectual will to challenge established thinking and pursue new ideas.

Over the years, when I’ve challenged people’s thinking, I’ve always come away better informed by opening myself to new viewpoints. That strategy of thinking feels supremely important at this moment, and in this industry, as the time to shed hidebound habits is here.

This week, senior columnist Jeff Benjamin writes on the results of the latest InvestmentNews tech survey (Page 8). The urgency to adapt new technologies leaps off the page with this quote: “A survey of independent investment advisers, conducted from February through mid-March, found that top performers are more likely than other firms to embrace software solutions, especially core systems, including CRM, financial planning and account aggregation.”

The link between top performers and adaptation cannot be ignored, and the situation since the survey ended in mid-March underscores its importance. So this week’s takeaway — no matter your religion — is this: Think like a Jesuit.