One of the most important skills you can have as a leader is to think like a futurist.
A futurist doesn’t have magical powers to predict the future. But they can make sure we’re not surprised by what the future might bring.
The world of work is changing rapidly, and the pace of change will only continue to increase. Knowing what could be coming down the pipeline and how it may affect your company is crucial to surviving and thriving.
Being a futurist is like being a chess player. When I make a move in chess, I’m already thinking of how my opponent will respond and how I will handle different moves. I’m not predicting their moves, but I’m thinking through various scenarios about how I’ll respond.
Here are four questions to ask yourself to think like a futurist as you make decisions:
- Why might something happen? Think about the factors that could cause something to become a reality.
- What else might happen? Consider the other possibilities if your first option doesn’t come true.
- What factors will influence or impact why something will or won’t happen? This could include funding, regulations, decisions from others, changes to the market, and many other factors.
- What do you want to actually happen? This is the most important question. We assume the future happens to us, but it is actually something we create. Consider the outcomes and future you want, and then work to make it a reality.
These four questions can help you think like a leader and consider your priorities and investments moving forward. The future is right around the corner, and we have the power to be prepared and shape it into what we want it to be.
I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.
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This episode is sponsored by Hibob.
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In case you missed it, I just launched a subscription version of my podcast. Get ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and bonus episodes with the subscription version of the show The Future of Work Plus. To start it will only be available on Apple Podcasts and it will cost $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which is the equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee.
Fast-track your path to leadership success with The Future of Work Plus. I can’t wait for you to hear all the content we have in store!
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