Thinking about the future….. Do you ever do that?
And I don’t mean “worry” – something 95% of people do and call “thinking.” I mean preparing yourself for all the changes and challenges of tomorrow and the day after.
So I do it sometimes. And I have to admit, it’s not self-explanatory.
I’ve come out by now that it’s a true skill. A skill that will make the difference between being successful and staying successful.
And that money for every individual and for every company.
No company can continue to develop and grow in the next 10 years if the people who lead there have no idea which tendencies will play a role in the future and how their organisations can deal with it. Without development and growth, there is no lasting success.
I speak to a lot of executives who unfortunately don’t think about the future, but are worried. Sometimes it’s because they don’t have good people to hand over ( part of) daily tasks and to be able to focus on the strategy themselves.
Often because they’re just not capable leaders.
Fortunately, I also speak to enough executives who do think about the future. Their companies are already working on such future trends as globalization, upskilling and retraining of talent, creating meaning and impact.
My conclusion is that the successful future of every organization falls and stands with the leaders! To start and implement development and growth, every company must have the leaders of the future. The new type of management at all levels: DGA, C-level, MT, team leaders.
Fortunately, more and more people are becoming aware of this challenge and are willing to work on it. They also say that there are several skills that are essential for this:
1. The realization that there are two important ingredients for every company that need to be balanced: humanity and technology. Which means that the leader understands the importance of improving the efficiency of the organization and of providing meaning and care for the employees.
2.Coaching leadership skills. COACH stands for:
- Consideration = understanding, caring, attentive;
- Open = honest, sincere, accessible;
- Attentive = interested, attentive;
- Confident = self-aware, persuasive;
- Humanistic = benevolent, generous.
3. Mastering effective communication (yes, communication 😊 again). Listening to understand is the key.
4. Eq.Emotional intelligence: developing empathy, self-awareness and vulnerability.
It’s about becoming Yoda if you want to be a leader of the future. Yes- yes, the “Star wars” Yoda 😁.
That’s according to Jacob Morgan, a famous writer, speaker, futurist in his latest book “The Future Leader: 9 skills and mindsets to succeed in the next decade”.
I thought that was a telling metaphor, so I started using it, too. Better good stolen than badly made up – isn’t it? 😉
I really enjoy the faces of my clients when I ask them this question. The question I’m going to ask you now:
Are you ready to become Yoda?
