Future Now
The IFTF Blog
Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills in an Uncertain World
We are in a time of disruptive leadership change. In a VUCA world—one characterized by volatilty, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—traditional leadership skills won't be enough. Drawing on IFTF's 2008 Ten-Year Forecast, Leaders Make the Future explores the external forces that are shaking the foundations of leadership.
Some leadership skills are enduring. But to be successful in the future, leaders also need an emerging set of skills uniquely suited to dealing with the challenges of the threshold decade we are entering. Today’s businesses and organizations are operating in unprecedented transition. Though they already seemed stressed to the breaking point, Bob reminds us that we are also more connected than ever before in our history, but we must fully realize the benefits of that connectivity. In the next decade, leaders will not just see the future—they will make it! But they will not be able to do it alone.
IFTF has been developing ten-year forecasts for some of the world’s top organizations for forty years and this book draws on IFTF’s forecasts to introduce skills that will help leaders see connections in the larger systems of which they are a part,embrace shared assets and opportunities, and cut through the chaos to make a better future. Separate chapters focus on each skill, identifying the new circumstances that make it necessary and providing examples of the skill in action. How adroit are you at dilemma-flipping—turning problems that can’t be permanently solved into opportunities? What is your level of immersive learning ability—the ability to dive into very different physical and online worlds and learn from them? Do you know what a smart mob is and how to organize one? In the book Bob provides role models, tools, and advice to help you develop these and seven other skills.
We are facing times of unprecedented challenge. Combining research-based forecasts, real-world examples, and his own astute analysis, this helps you identify and acquire the abilities you need to thrive in this difficult world. Visit Berrett-Koehler Publishers to purchase the book or download a free excerpt.