Creating a Movement with a Book with Saar Ben-Attar [S5 E12]
Thu Feb 05 2026
Today, Karen Williams sits down with Saar Ben-Attar, founder of Ascent Growth Partners and acclaimed author of Challengers – How a New Breed of Leaders Collaborates and Wins in a Hyper Competitive World.
Saar shares the story behind his first book, revealing how his journey – filled with collaboration, frustration, and innovation – shaped both its content and its impact. They dive into the evolution of leadership and ecosystem growth, from the challenges of writing and publishing, to the real-world impact his book has had for organisations worldwide.
The episode explores the exciting frontier where business books meet generative AI, discussing how AI is helping readers bridge the gap between knowing and doing, driving creativity, and enabling more practical application of the book’s practices.
Whether you’re an aspiring author, an innovation leader, or simply curious about the intersection of business and technology, this episode dives into behind-the-scenes writing insights and a glimpse of the future where books become dynamic tools for change.
** Upcoming Events **
If you’d like to find out more about how we can support you with your book, come along to one of our free monthly online networking events, the Coffee and Connect Café, held on the first Tuesday of each month.
You’ll get learning, ideas, and the chance to connect with other authors. We also run an annual writing retreat, and our next retreat in Spain is from 25 April to 2 May 2026. Join us for a week in the sun writing your book!
You can find out more about all our upcoming events at https://www.librotas.com/librotasevents.
Or contact Karen Williams to find out how she can help you via www.librotas.com.
Key Takeaways
From Words to Action: Writing and publishing a business book is just the beginning. The real transformation happens when readers move beyond passive consumption and start actively applying practices in their organizations.
Amplifying Creativity with AI: Saar shared how generative AI isn’t just a marketing tool – it’s a bridge to new collaborative possibilities, allowing readers to creatively engage with concepts and accelerate scenario planning from weeks to mere hours.
Collaboration Drives Innovation: The secret sauce? Consistent collaboration – both in crafting the book and developing tools that empower leaders to bring ecosystem thinking into their everyday work.
Bio
Saar Ben-Attar is the founder of Ascent Growth Partners, an award-winning firm that focuses on innovation and ecosystem-driven growth, supporting clients in fast-growing economies in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, with offices in Johannesburg and Singapore. He has been working with Fortune Global 500 as well as mid-sized, high growth organisations for over 20 years, helping them to realise their growth aspirations.
As a national expert in Business Ecosystems, under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), he has helped to develop a new global guidance standard for Innovation Ecosystem Management (ISO 56012).
His highly collaborative approach has given rise to partnerships formed with leading organisations that augment Ascent’s work, including business schools and industry think tanks.
Apart from his role at Ascent Growth Partners, he serves as an Advisory Board member and is an Executive Fellow at the Center for the Future of Organization, at the Peter F. Drucker School of Management. His book, Challengers: How a New Breed of Leaders Collaborates and Wins in a Hyper-Competitive World, has won acclaim and is available on Amazon.com.
Website: www.ascent-growth.com
Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Challengers-Breed-Leaders-Collaborates-Competitive/dp/B0CYWG78FQ
Book a 15 minute call with Saar here
Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saarbenattar
Time stamped overview:
00:00 Journey of Collaborative Creation
06:10 Motivation, Challenges, and Learning
09:39 Insights on Collaboration and AI
11:45 Generative AI for Creative Impact
16:16 Testing Practices for Real Life
22:02 AI's Human Journey and Limits
25:32 Effective AI Use Requires Clarity
29:16 Generative AI Bridges Global Collaboration
32:13 Collaborative AI-Powered Book Innovation
34:34 Creating Value and Visibility
Keywords: ecosystem-driven growth, Ascent Growth Partners, book writing journey, leadership, hyper-competitive world, , AI innovation, generative AI, collaborative learning, bestselling author, Amazon books, podcast appearances, collaborative ecosystems, organizational impact, value creation, business practices, digital tools, card deck, AI digital assistant, cultural collaboration, future of AI ethics, book publishing
More
Today, Karen Williams sits down with Saar Ben-Attar, founder of Ascent Growth Partners and acclaimed author of Challengers – How a New Breed of Leaders Collaborates and Wins in a Hyper Competitive World. Saar shares the story behind his first book, revealing how his journey – filled with collaboration, frustration, and innovation – shaped both its content and its impact. They dive into the evolution of leadership and ecosystem growth, from the challenges of writing and publishing, to the real-world impact his book has had for organisations worldwide. The episode explores the exciting frontier where business books meet generative AI, discussing how AI is helping readers bridge the gap between knowing and doing, driving creativity, and enabling more practical application of the book’s practices. Whether you’re an aspiring author, an innovation leader, or simply curious about the intersection of business and technology, this episode dives into behind-the-scenes writing insights and a glimpse of the future where books become dynamic tools for change. ** Upcoming Events ** If you’d like to find out more about how we can support you with your book, come along to one of our free monthly online networking events, the Coffee and Connect Café, held on the first Tuesday of each month. You’ll get learning, ideas, and the chance to connect with other authors. We also run an annual writing retreat, and our next retreat in Spain is from 25 April to 2 May 2026. Join us for a week in the sun writing your book! You can find out more about all our upcoming events at https://www.librotas.com/librotasevents. Or contact Karen Williams to find out how she can help you via www.librotas.com. Key Takeaways From Words to Action: Writing and publishing a business book is just the beginning. The real transformation happens when readers move beyond passive consumption and start actively applying practices in their organizations. Amplifying Creativity with AI: Saar shared how generative AI isn’t just a marketing tool – it’s a bridge to new collaborative possibilities, allowing readers to creatively engage with concepts and accelerate scenario planning from weeks to mere hours. Collaboration Drives Innovation: The secret sauce? Consistent collaboration – both in crafting the book and developing tools that empower leaders to bring ecosystem thinking into their everyday work. Bio Saar Ben-Attar is the founder of Ascent Growth Partners, an award-winning firm that focuses on innovation and ecosystem-driven growth, supporting clients in fast-growing economies in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, with offices in Johannesburg and Singapore. He has been working with Fortune Global 500 as well as mid-sized, high growth organisations for over 20 years, helping them to realise their growth aspirations. As a national expert in Business Ecosystems, under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), he has helped to develop a new global guidance standard for Innovation Ecosystem Management (ISO 56012). His highly collaborative approach has given rise to partnerships formed with leading organisations that augment Ascent’s work, including business schools and industry think tanks. Apart from his role at Ascent Growth Partners, he serves as an Advisory Board member and is an Executive Fellow at the Center for the Future of Organization, at the Peter F. Drucker School of Management. His book, Challengers: How a New Breed of Leaders Collaborates and Wins in a Hyper-Competitive World, has won acclaim and is available on Amazon.com. Website: www.ascent-growth.com Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Challengers-Breed-Leaders-Collaborates-Competitive/dp/B0CYWG78FQ Book a 15 minute call with Saar here Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saarbenattar Time stamped overview: 00:00 Journey of Collaborative Creation 06:10 Motivation, Challenges, and Learning 09:39 Insights on Collaboration and AI 11:45 Generative AI for Creative Impact 16:16 Testing Practices for Real Life 22:02 AI's Human Journey and Limits 25:32 Effective AI Use Requires Clarity 29:16 Generative AI Bridges Global Collaboration 32:13 Collaborative AI-Powered Book Innovation 34:34 Creating Value and Visibility Keywords: ecosystem-driven growth, Ascent Growth Partners, book writing journey, leadership, hyper-competitive world, , AI innovation, generative AI, collaborative learning, bestselling author, Amazon books, podcast appearances, collaborative ecosystems, organizational impact, value creation, business practices, digital tools, card deck, AI digital assistant, cultural collaboration, future of AI ethics, book publishing