"Look for the visionaries who get it... not the skeptics who oppose it." - Futurist Jim Carroll
A lot is going on in the world, and I was going to do a long post about it, but I won't. I'll just leave these here - I think we all face a fundamental truth - at this moment, we can choose to lift humanity, or choose to help to tear it down. I know where my mind sits. Enough said.
Anyways, I was thinking again about the state of affairs with trends and the future. It truly is astonishing how the script can flip in such a short time. Maybe I was onto something when I was sharing the Flintstones and Jetsons idea on stage.
So how do you ensure you are staying tuned to the right ideas, the important concepts, the trends that matter? Listen to the visionaries, those who have a close eye on the ground of tomorrow, an ear tuned to the trends. I asked Gemini what my blog posts suggest - what type of guidance have i shared over the years that helps us to think about this.
This is what you should do.
- Lead from the future, not the present: Instead of focusing on current challenges, paint a clear picture of tomorrow and orient your team to move towards that vision.
- Don't just follow trends, create them: Be a disruptor in your industry by anticipating what's next and building it before anyone else. This proactive approach sets you apart as a leader, not a follower.
- Weaponize your curiosity: Cultivate a culture of relentless questioning. Reward yourself when you challenge assumptions and ask "what if," as this helps to eliminate stagnant thinking.
- Lead with "decisive optimism": Acknowledge the challenges at hand, but consistently project confidence in your ability to overcome them. Your mindset is crucial in navigating uncertainty.
- Embrace speed: Be quick and nimble. Adopt short-term plans and a mindset of continuous, iterative innovation to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
- Spend more time on possibilities than on roadblocks: Focus your energy on the opportunities and potential outcomes rather than dwelling on the setbacks and obstacles you encounter.
- Don't just think outside the box - live there: Make unconventional thinking and living a core part of your personal and professional life, not just an occasional exercise.
- To invent the future, be willing to throw away your past: You must be prepared to discard old methods and outdated successes to create something new and transformative.
- Learn from your disappointments, don't hide from them: View your mistakes and letdowns as opportunities for growth. Use them as fuel for your next steps forward instead of allowing them to define you.
- Learn from your challengers: Do not ignore your competitors. Instead, study them, learn from them, and get inspired by their strategies to fuel your own innovative thinking.
Above all, keep moving forward, not back!
Because, despite the oddness of our times, tomorrow knows where we are going!
Sometimes, Futurist Jim Carroll doesn't know where we are going, but knows that we are making great time.