"People aren't impressed by what you say you can do - they're impressed by what you actually do!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
Prove it.
That's what matters.
People remember people who get things done. People who get things done are the ones who succeed with the future and trends.
Here's what I know about initiative and moving forward -talk is cheap. Really cheap. I've watched countless organizations and individuals tell me about all the amazing things they're going to do - and then watched most of them do, literally, absolutely nothing after the fact. They've booked me for a keynote on innovation, but they don't innovate. They ask for hard-hitting insight on disruptive trends and then watch as others disrupt their business. They seek insight on how to accelerate their creativity but fall right back into their old mindsets.
What happens in these situations? A lack of commitment, but more importantly, a lack of initiative.
That's why I have often said that motivational insight is, for some, a bit like Chinese food. It's great at the moment, but you're hungry 20 minutes later.
Let me be blunt about what I've learned about turning talk into action.
An action-oriented mindset. I'll say this until I'm blue in the face: "Wait and see" is not a strategy. It's an excuse. It's a comfort blanket for people afraid to leap. In every industry I've worked with - from manufacturing to healthcare to high tech - the organizations that thrive are the ones that stopped waiting and started doing.
The power of doing: They started doing. And they kept on doing it. Here's the brutal truth: nobody cares about your grand plans or your brilliant ideas if you can't execute them. I've seen this play out countless times - the power lies not in what you say, but in what you do. And trust me, while everyone's busy complaining about disruption, your competitors are busy creating it.
Momentum over motivation. Want to know a secret? Motivation is overrated. What you need is momentum. I've watched organizations spend months in "motivation meetings" while their more agile competitors just got moving and started making things happen. Stop waiting for the perfect moment - it doesn't exist.
Execution is key. Having ideas? That's the easy part. I meet people full of ideas every day. But turning those ideas into reality? That's where genius lives. That's where leaders emerge. That's where futures are made. That's where success is found.
Results speak louder than words. Want to be taken seriously? Deliver. Just deliver. I've watched too many organizations promise the moon and deliver a rock. Your reputation isn't built on your promises - it's built on your delivery.
Overcoming inaction. Let me be clear: you don't need a sign to know that inaction is killing your future. It's happening right now, silently, while you're reading this. The only antidote is action. Real, meaningful, purposeful action.
Stop whining, start doing. I've got zero patience for complainers. You know what I tell them? Nobody cares about your complaints. They care about solutions. They care about action. They care about results.
Stop waiting and start doing. "We're not ready yet." I hear this all the time. Here's the truth: you'll never be ready. The organizations that win are the ones that start before they're ready, learn as they go, and adjust on the fly.
Focus on initiative. Ideas without initiative are just daydreams. And consensus? Often it's just a fancy word for "let's slow everything down until we do nothing." Right now - right now - someone is working to make your business model obsolete. The secret? Show up. Take action. Make things happen.
Be fast. The future belongs to those who are fast. Not those who are perfect. Not those who have the best plans. Those who are fast. Your decision-making speed needs to match the velocity of change in your industry - or you'll be left behind.
So what happens with those who get moving? They become what I call 'world-class innovators.' Check out my list of what it is they do that others don't do. Focus on that! It's at https://worldclassinnovation.jimcarroll.com . I built this list after carefully noting and watching what successful organizations did.
And the fact is, world-class innovators don't just think about the future - they actively shape it. They refuse to accept the status quo and make decisions even when the path forward isn't completely clear - they just move forward. I've seen this repeatedly across industries, from healthcare to manufacturing. What is it they do? They:
- Align their decision-making speed with the velocity of change in their industry. They understand that the future belongs to the fast, and they've structured their operations accordingly. In my presentations on "Unlocking Tomorrow," this is often the difference-maker I highlight between organizations that thrive and those that merely survive.
- Transform disruptive threats into opportunities. The best organizations I've worked with don't just recognize potential disruption - they actively work to minimize threats while maximizing the opportunities that come with change. When I spoke about moving from mass production to mass customization, the organizations that succeeded were those that started implementing changes immediately.
- Focus on implementation rather than just ideation. One of my favorite examples is Lloyd Adams - now the CEO of SAP North America. 20 years ago, he not only heard my message about 'speed' but took immediate action, leading to a partnership spanning dozens of events. This exemplifies how action-oriented organizations don't just listen - they execute.
Here's what it all comes down to: success isn't about having the best ideas - it's about having the courage and capability to act on them. Organizations that align themselves with the speed of change, that foster a culture of action over discussion, and that understand the importance of immediate implementation are the ones that consistently succeed in shaping their future rather than being shaped by it.
Remember: in today's rapidly evolving world, the gap between opportunity and obsolescence isn't determined by what you know - it's determined by what you do with what you know.
Think about that.
Stop talking about what you're going to do.
Start doing it.
Because that's what people remember.
Action matters.
Futurist Jim Carroll stays pretty active every day. Right after this post, he’ll head out on his regular 7km early morning walk, despite the temperature being -14C.