Key Messages
Becoming A Future-Shaping Leader: How To Lead In An Age Of Uncertainty And Digital Revolution
In today’s turbulent and ever-changing world, leaders must pivot in order to remain resilient and successful.
In his book, Future Shaper, provides leaders with the principles necessary for them to become shapers of their own destiny and settle into a thriving future.
He explores the fundamentals of future-shaping leadership and teaches readers how to focus on the bigger picture as well as set clear goals.
By taking charge of their own destiny and putting these practices into effect, leaders can flourish even amidst some economic, social, political and technological turmoil.
This guide will help them recognize when it’s time to make changes that are necessary for success so that they can continue to lead their organizations in a positive direction despite all odds.
Leaders Need To Take Control And Be Steadfast In The Face Of Uncertainty In 2020
It’s no secret that the world we live in is increasingly unstable.
We hear about it on the news every day: climate change, political instability and terrorism, technological advances, and so much more.
It’s this sense of uncertainty that poses a serious threat to businesses today – especially in light of the current Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, and precision medicine are revolutionizing industries left and right.
These new technologies bring with them a whole host of uncertainties, disrupting established business models as newer ones emerge to meet customer demands.
Traditional banks have had to upgrade their online services to compete with digital banks while brick-and-mortar stores have had to transition their merchandise into digital options to keep up with customer preferences.
The takeaway is clear: being a leader in this ever-changing landscape requires foresight, quick decision making, and constant adaptation in order for businesses to survive these uncertain times.
This makes it hard for management teams who often find themselves in “constant threat alert” mode without the time or resources needed to acquire the leadership skills that are necessary for success in an unpredictable environment.
To Be A Successful Leader, Create And Communicate Your Vision For The Future
Being a good leader requires long-term vision.
Without a clear direction, it’s impossible to know where to take your business or team, and you may find yourself becoming bogged down in the day-to-day details, never reaching any real growth.
To be an effective future shaper, one must identify a Preferred Future Outcome (or preferable).
This is not only an ambitious goal but a specific one that sets the pace and parameters for achieving success.
As John F Kennedy said when first announcing his desire to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade: it was not just about ambition but about being specific.
In addition to making preferables as clear as possible, it helps to have an underlying purpose; understanding why you’re trying to achieve this goal and how you can measure success.
One such example is Henry Ford who created the Ford Motor Company with the aim of providing affordable mobility for all – and whose legacy speaks for itself today.
By taking time out from daily dealings and asking yourself key big-picture questions now and then, it gives you more headspace to stay on track with your long term goals while also inspiring your teammates with clarity in their roles too.
How To Spark Your Creative Potential For Shaping The Future: Leverage Imaginative Freedom And Fuel Your Ideas With New Perspectives
When it comes to coming up with bold and imaginative solutions to the challenges of tomorrow, the most effective way to do this is by embracing freedom of thought.
After all, that’s what allows us to be creative – just like an artist needs an easel, paints and brushes in order to create a masterpiece.
That’s why Future Shapers are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild when it comes to dreaming up their vision for the future.
This approach can really pay off too – look at how self-driving cars have gone from being a distant pipedream into becoming something that very likely soon become mainstream!
Or even consider the advent of humanoid robots which are now functioning as customer service terminals in airports and much more!
It just goes to show that when you set aside concerns about how you’ll implement your vision and instead ideate without boundaries or limits, the sky truly is the limit.
The Key To Successful Leadership In The Modern Business World: Communicating A Clear Vision And Roadmap
If you want to be a successful leader, you need to make sure that your team is behind you, and the best way to do that is by communicating a clear vision and providing them with a roadmap on how to achieve it.
In order to communicate your preferable in an effective manner, it’s important to provide a concise explanation of what you’re aiming for and why it’s important for the company’s success.
If possible, use real-life examples or stories that illustrate what achieving this preferable would look like.
Make sure it’s absolutely clear how achieving the preferable will result in positive change and improved performance of the company.
Using imagery can also help convince people more quickly, so try incorporating powerful visuals into your message – either through real-life examples or stories featuring relatable characters.
Additionally, provide your team with a step-by-step plan on how to get there as well as resources needed in order for them to support you in this process.
Finally, remember not to overwhelm people with your enthusiasm about the goal; rather, allow them time to accept and understand your ideas before acting upon them.
Once they understand why this change is worth the effort, they’ll be more likely to be supportive of it.
Why Your Company Should Invest In Diversity And Inclusion Strategies For Improved Performance
Building a creative and resilient team through diversity and inclusion is essential for any business’s success.
A diverse team of individuals from different races, genders, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds and cultures have the potential to create an effective working environment – one where its members are able to absorb new knowledge quickly, come up with innovative ideas, and adapt to changes in their industry.
Not only will the workplace be enriched with new perspectives but it also equips businesses with ample opportunities for growth.
Diverse teams often exhibit greater levels of resilience as its members can bring different life experiences to the table that help them deal with unexpected events.
As well as being highly resilient, diverse teams also tend to be more creative due to the variety of insight and ideas members produce when debating over issues or troubleshooting problems.
It’s important that companies take initiative when it comes to building a diverse team by implementing strategies such as providing workshops on how to reduce stereotyping at work or reviewing candidate portfolios objectively without bias during the recruitment process.
To ensure diversity initiatives are successful within their organization, leaders must cultivate a culture of open communication between colleagues which encourages everyone in the room to provide their input or feedback when needed.
The Importance Of Developing Connections For Establishing A Platform To Turn Ideas Into Reality
Cultivating key connections is essential to developing your platform.
When Sanjay had his brilliant idea, he quickly realized that he needed help in order to make it become a reality — and without any supportive contacts, this seemed impossible.
He knew that he needed to build a platform to be able to share his ideas publicly and make them heard, but the first step was estabilshing powerful connections with individuals who could help him make it happen.
The best way for aspiring future shapers like Sanjay to do this is by continually strengthening relationships with people who can benefit from the value you can offer.
By demonstrating that you have something unique and useful, you can create opportunities for yourself and even make valuable mentors along the way.
It may take some time, but the key is investing in your network early on so that your ideas are heard when you’re ready to launch them out into the world!
The Key To Being An Inspiring Leader Is Taking Care Of Yourself And Your Team
When it comes to being an effective leader, it’s essential to have a happy and energized attitude.
Not only does this set a good example for your team, but it also creates an optimal atmosphere for great work.
Employees will tend to mimic the mood of their boss, so having a positive attitude is key!
As a future shaper, it is especially important that you are setting the right kind of example.
In addition to listening to the ideas and concerns of your team members, be sure to give them the appreciation they deserve for their hard work.
Make sure to bring enough positivity into the workplace too – if morale feels low then take some time out of your day to address these issues directly.
Most importantly, remember that even as a leader you’re still human!
You can’t always be in “shaping-the-future” mode – so make sure to build up your support system with friends, family or colleagues who can lend you positive vibes when times get tough.
And don’t forget about self-care: make sure you get enough sleep and exercise regularly.
Keeping those habits in check will help sustain your aim and will keep you motivated on days where motivation tends to be low.
The Key To Success: Have Confidence In Yourself And Persevere Through Tough Times
The idea of being persistent to survive in today’s volatile business environment is one that can make or break a business.
This concept was showcased through Steve Jobs, who faced failure in his career yet persevered until success came.
He was first kicked out of Apple in 1985 and then started NeXT in 1997 which faced many challenges until it was bought by Apple twelve years later.
But why did Jobs keep going despite the hardship? It all comes down to confidence and self-belief.
A strong sense of self-reliance enables you to move forward, come up with solutions, and stay motivated even when the going gets tough.
To have confidence, you have to constantly work on yourself.
Remind yourself of your leadership purpose and create a personal mantra to keep you consoled during difficult times.
These habits will give you an edge as a leader since it lends itself to big-picture thinking and assertiveness in decision making for your business —all key qualities needed for survival in today’s ever-changing market landscape.
Wrap Up
In a nutshell, the key message of Future Shaper is that leaders need to be prepared for an increasingly uncertain world.
To do this you need to have self-belief and motivate your team, stay aware of current developments, decide the future you want to create and establish clear aims.
It’s not enough to just talk about these things; you should back them up with an actionable plan.
That’s why it’s important to take action instead of simply talking and thinking.
This way, you’re more likely to make a lasting impression on your people and prove yourself as a reliable and results-driven leader.
