SurvivingANDThrivingInAVUCAWorld

Disruptionisamindset…

“Wearegettingkidsreadyforjobsthatdonotyetexist”hasbecomethismoderndaymantra,almost like awhite flag of surrender thatwe’ve chosen towave furtively in the face of thevolatility,uncertainty,complexity,andambiguitythatwearecurrentlyfacingintoday’sworld.Amantra that insulatesus from the sheer speed,paceandvelocityof change thathasbeenunleasheduponourorganizationsandsocietyasawhole.Amantrathathasbeenbandiedabouttheeducationalecosystemonmoreoccasionsandmoreoftenthanwecaretoreminisce.AmantrathatIbelievetonotonlybewrongfocused,butaninhibitorofchangefor…

(1) its predictive element relieves the system of real responsibility, necessity andurgencyforanytypeofdeep,exponentialshift(s);and

(2) the unknowing element of the statement allows the space for us to insulateourselvesandthesystemfromadeeperawarenessofthechangesthatarecurrentlyandcontinuallyoccurringacrosssocietythatnecessitatenewmindshiftsacrossoureducationalfrontier.

When the future becomes a guessing game,whenwe focus on the unpredictability thatwecurrentlyface,wehavethistendencytorecoilbacktotheknown,backtothefamiliar,bothasindividualsandasorganizations.Weallowthefearofthisvastunknowntoentrenchusinthestatusquoofthepastandpresent,ratherthanpioneeringforwardtowardabetterdesignforthefuture.

Whatwehavetobegintorealizeandtowrapourheadsaround,isthatwearenotgettingkidsreadyforjobsthatareyettoexist…

Wearepreparing them tobeagileandadaptable in the faceofprofoundshifts.

Wearepreparingourstudentsforaverydifferentfuture.

Which will eventually require some very deep shifts in our systems, our structures, ourprocesses, our focus, and even our beliefs and behaviors. We can no longer just remaincontent-focusedinaskills-basedworld.Changewillbenecessaryinasocietallandscapethatisbeing driven relentlessly forward by the exponential pace of the ongoing technologytransformationanddigitaldisruptionthatisoftenmovingfasterthanwecancontrol.AsKevinKellysharesinTheInevitable,“Wearemorphingsofastthatourabilitytoinventnewthingsoutpacestheratewecancivilizethem.”For which Bruce Nussbaum from his work Creative Intelligence adds, “Sometimes, thefrequencyandvolatilityofchangehappenatanunusualrate–that’swherewefindourselvestoday.Whileitcanbescary,VUCAlandscapesalsopresentunusualopportunitiestodothingsdifferently. Itwill takenotonlynewstrategies,butanewwayofthinking,communicating,andcreating.”Whathasdriveneducationinthepast, isnolongersufficientornecessarilyrelevantforwhatwewillfaceinthefuture.Theadventofanexponential,entrepreneurialeconomy,thegrowinginfluenceofautomationand artificial intelligence, and the disruptive nature of today’s organizational landscape hasshownusthatourworldhasbecomeamuchmorevolatile,shiftingandevolvingenvironmentthanwemayhaverealized.Unfortunately,wearestrugglingtoeffectivelyprepareourleadersandorganizationstohandlethe chaos and complexity that accompany the rate and intensity of today’s dynamic changeforces.AsErtelandSolomonshareintheirworkMomentsofImpact,“westillhireandrewardpeoplemainlyfortheirabilitytoexploitknownideas.”Weare ineffectively tryingtoslowandcontaintheconfusionthat theseshiftsarecausingbyapplyingoutdatedandoutmodedpracticesandstrategiesthatarenotmatchedtothetaskthat

towersbeforeandaheadofus.Wearestillfocusedonapplyingtechnicalanswerstoadaptivechallenges and then find ourselves perplexed by the dysfunction, frustration and lack ofprogresswefailtocreateasleadersororganizations.We continue to force our leaders and organizations to deal only in the known, while ourevolvingVUCAworldisdeterminedtoserveupmoreandmoreunknowns.Untilweshiftourthinkingandourmindsetsasleadersandorganizations,untilwecanlearntotrulydefinetheproblemswearefacing,anduntilwecanlearntomovepasttheapplicationofoutdatedandoutmodedpracticestonewandevolvingproblems,wewillfailtobeaseffectiveor impactful in pushing through the change forces thatwe continue to face now and in thefuture.AsChrisErtelandLisaKaySolomonshareinMomentsofImpact,“IntheageofVUCAWorld,the number one job of leadersmust be to help organizations and society resolve adaptivechallenges.”Thetypesofproblemsandchallengesthatwearenowandwillfaceinthefuturearenolongerfixedand simply identified. Theyaremuchmore intricate and complex and requiredifferentthinking,deeperunderstandingsandnewskill-sets forour leaders.What they’veshownus isthatwe’vemovedfromaworldofmorestatictechnicalproblemstoonethat isevolvingandtiltingtowardsmoreandmoreadaptivechallenges.Whichchangeshowwereactasleadersandorganizations,asGaryKleinsharesinStreetlightsandShadows,“Ourdecisionmakingtakesondifferentformswhenwearefacingambiguous,complex,andunpredictablesituations.”Meaning that what has worked for leading our organizations previously, what has beeneffectiveforamoretraditionalandwell-orderedworld,willnotnecessarilybeaseffectiveorviableinaVUCAWorld.Recognizingthisshift, initiatestherealizationthatwe’regoingtoneedtoprepareourleadersfor a very different future. Today’s leaders will have to begin to push past traditionalapproaches and concentrate on learning how to be adaptable in the face of situations andchallengesthataremuchmorevolatile,unpredictable,complex,andambiguous.Meaningthatmany of the rules, procedures and checklists that have served uswell previously,may havebeguntoshowtheir limitationsandabilitytobeeffective inthisnewworld.OrasGaryKleinadds from Streetlights and Shadows, “We can’t rely on procedures to make decisions incomplexsituations.”Itisthisideaofadaptabilityandagilitythatwillbevitalforpreparingourleadersandmoderndayorganizationstopushforwardmoreeffectivelyintothefuture.As times change, so do the abilities and skillsets that once defined us as individuals andorganizations.Wearefindingmoreandmorethatwhatwasrelevanttoday,isoftenirrelevanttomorrow. The increasing pace of change is teaching us that learning and unlearning willbecomeamuchmorenaturalpartofwhoweareandwhatwedoifwearetoavoidwhatmanyseeasaworldbeingdefinedbywhatNickHorneyandTomO’ShearefertoinFocused,Fast&Flexibleas“acceleratedobsolescence.”

Whichmeanswewillalsohavetobecomemuchmoreagileandadaptive inour learningandunlearningability.Ofunderstandingwhenalinearapproachsuffices…And when a pivot is necessary and needed to avoid stifling and pushing our systems,organizationsandthosewithinintodisorderanddysfunctionalstructuresandprocesses.Inabilitytohaveawarenessbeyondourcurrentcircumstanceswilllimitthedepthandbreadthofthedotsthatwillbenecessaryandneededtoconnectourwayforwardproactivelythroughthis volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity that permeates a world defined by“acceleratedobsolescence.”Creatingthisenvironmentofconstantlearningandadaptabilitywillnotonlyrequirenewdotstobeconnected,itwillbeadefiningabilityandskillsetofeffectiveleadersofthefuture.Drawingfromadepthandbreadthofmodelsanddriverswillnotonlyallowustoconnectthiswideningarrayofdotsmorerelevantly,butemboldenustoproactivelyfacetheturbulenceanduncertaintybroughtonbythepaceofchange inamuchmoredynamicandpositivemanner,bothasindividualsandorganizations.Seeingbeyondourcurrentcircumstances,engagingideasandconceptsthatprovidenewdotsand bright spots in often unknown spaces, allows us the ability to not only make ourorganizationalenvironmentsforourindividualsmorecreativeandinnovative,butprovidestheimpetustoremainmorerelevantinthefaceoftheunrelentingpaceandspeedofchangethathasbeenthrustuponus.Inbeingopenandreceptivetonewpossibilities,wefindthatwecanlearntooutpaceaworldthathasrecentlyfounditselfdominatedby“acceleratedobsolescence”inwhatPeterDruckerhastermedthe“AgeofDiscontinuity.”So,ifhistoryhastaughtusanything,ithastaughtusthatnooneandnoorganizationisimmuneorsafefromthisemergingVUCAWorldandthespeedofchange.Whenwe continue to pace everythingwe do in linear, incremental, and sequential ways ofthinkingandcreateourprocessesandbuildourstructurestooperateinthismannerwhiletheworld around us shifts to a much more non-linear, exponential manner of thinking anddoing…somethinghastogive.Somewherealongthewaytheincoherenceandmisalignmentsbecomesoincongruentwiththevisionthatrecoveryisoftenquestionableasirrelevancehasalreadysetinorcompletelytakenover and the only question left to answer is how long the organization can or will hangon...operatinginoutdatedandoutmodedirrelevance.OrastheSalimIsmail,MichaelMaloneandYurivanGeestshareinExponentialOrganizations,“Oneofthekey issues inanexponentialworld-whateverunderstandingyouhavetoday isgoing to rapidly become obsolete, and so you have to continue to refresh your educationabout the technologies and about the organizational capabilities. That’s going to be verychallenging.Rapidordisruptivechangeissomethingthatlarge,matrixedorganizationsfindextremelydifficult. Indeed,thosewhohaveattemptedithavefoundthattheorganization’s“immunesystem”isliabletorespondtotheperceivedthreatwithanattack.”

Theproblemisthatthebiggestthreattomostorganizationsisnottheexternalforcesknockingatthegate,butourowninabilitytodisruptourselvesinternally.Tobuildtheinternalabilityandcapacitytolearnnew,learnfaster,becomemoreagileandadaptive,toknowwhentocontinuethejourneyandwhenapivotandshiftisinorder…Orinotherwords,tobeabletodisruptourselvesbeforethedisruptionisdonetous.Theonethingthatwecannotdoanymoreistoallowourselvestobecaughtunawareorchooseto further insulate ourselves from these tremendous and overwhelming shifts that are nowchanging the very face of our societal systems, especially in light of how Kurzweil’s Law ofAccelerating Returns and the digital transformation has shown us that, if anything, this newpaceof change isdoingmore toaccelerateand speedup than to slowdownanytime in thenearfuture.Soasyouconsideryourleadership,aswellasyourorganizationalresponse,becausearesponseisandwillbenecessaryandneededifyouaretoavoidfutureirrelevance,considerthesewordsfrom Salim Ismail, Michael Malone, and Yuri van Geest from their work ExponentialOrganizations, “History and common sensemake clear that you cannot radically transformevery part of an organization - and accelerate the underlying clock of that enterprise tohyper-speed-withoutfundamentallychangingthenatureofthatorganization.”Soaswebegintoconsiderourindividual(leadership)andcollective(organizational)responsetotoday’sVUCAWorld,herearejustafewconsiderationsofthatabilitiesandskill-setsthatwillallow us to lead more relevantly and effectively into this constantly evolving and unknownfuture…

LeaderasDisruptor…

One of the things thatmost leaders strive for is a strong sense of equilibrium and cohesionwithinourorganizations(whichistoooftenequatedwithcoherenceandclarity).Ourongoingeffortsareoftenheavilyfocusedoncreatinggreaterlevelsofstructureandstabilityacrossoursystems.Infact,weoftenspendinordinateamountsofourtimetryingtofindandincorporatestrategies to release tension and levy serenity and calmness across the entirety of ourorganizationallandscapes.Butmaybe,justmaybe,weareplacingourenergyinthewrongplace,inthewrongdirection?Maybeinsteadoftryingtorelievetension,weshouldbelookingforwaystoinstigateabitmoreof it? Is it possible that today’s leaders need to spend less time focused on organizationaltranquility and a bitmore time engaged in exploring and grapplingwith the turbulence andtensionthatexistsinthechasmbetweenchaosandorder?Inlearninghowtoridethetensionwhichexistsand resides in that spacebetween those two forces?Especially ina timewheregreaterindividualandorganizationalcreativityandinnovationarenecessaryandneeded.Remember,movingpastyourlidisuncomfortable,butnecessary,especiallyintoday’srapidlychangingandshiftingworld.Whichiswhytheycallitleadership,andnotmanagement.AsRobertPascalesharesinSurfingtheEdgeofChaos,thedifficultpartis“gettingthetensionright.”Itisfindingthesweetspotbetweenorderandchaos.Itisinfindingaplaceofcomfortinuncomfortableness. Which requires a bit of turbulence and chaos to exist and allow ourorganization’stobeknockedoffbalanceabitandpushedoutofitsinsulatedequilibrium.AsRichardPascaleshares inhisbook Surfing theEdgeofChaos, “Nothingnovelcanemergefromsystemswithhighdegreesoforderandstability.Ontheotherhand,completechaoticsystems, are too formless to coalesce. Generative complexity takes place in the boundarybetweenrigidityandrandomness.”For which Pascale adds in Surfing the Edge of Chaos, “For any system to survive, it mustcultivatevariety in its internalcontrols.If it fails todoso internally: itwill fail tocopewithvarietysuccessfullywhenitcomesfromanexternalsource.”Which isparamount to thesurvivalofanyof today’sorganizationsor systems.Forwhatwasonce insulated, is insulated no longer. Today’s organizations and systems are being peltedrelentlesslyfromavarietyofsources,bothinternallyandexternally.Inabilitytocopewiththisrelentless onslaught and shift and pivot when necessary, ultimately leads to individual andorganizationalineffectiveness,andultimatelyirrelevanceandorobsolescence.So as we consider the futures of our organizations and systems in today’s VUCA (volatile,uncertain,complex,ambiguous)world,considerthesethoughtsfromRichardPascaleinSurfingtheEdgeofChaos,“Speciesare inherentlydrawntoward theseemingoasisof stabilityandequilibrium – and the further they drift toward this destination, the less likely they are toadaptsuccessfullywhenchangeisnecessary.”

Inmuch the sameway, today’s leaders need to use both the internal controls and externalsourcestocreatetheirowntensionthatun-entrenchestheirleadershipfromtheconstantlureandsafetyofstatusquothinkinganddoing.Today’sleadersneedtobedisruptorsoftheirownmentalmodels.Fordisruptionisnolongerjust forproductsandmarkets,asmuchas it is formindsets. It isonlywhenthis internalandexternaldisruptionisrealized,thatwefindpossibility,whereimpossibilityusedtoexist.

LeaderasDesigner…Today’sleadersmustbedesigners.Not of products or things per se, but of visions, systems, structures, frameworks, processes,opportunities,andenvironmentsthatleadourorganizationsandindividualstoagreatersenseandlevelofcreativityandinnovation.Whichformany,changesourcurrentunderstandingandideaofdesignanddesignthinking.ConsiderwhatJamshidGharajedaghiputsforthinhisworkSystemsThinking:ManagingChaosandComplexity,“Idealizeddesignisaprocessforoperationalizingthemostexcitingvisionofthefuturethatthedesignersarecapableofproducing.Itisthedesignofthenextgenerationoftheirsystemtoreplacetheexistingorder.”Whichbecomestheworkoftoday’sleadersinaVUCAworld…Notonlydetermining “themost exciting visionof the future” but, seeinghow todetermineandengagethe“designofthenextgenerationfortheirsystemtoreplacetheexistingorder.”It is that level of designanddesign thinking thatpushesourorganizations and leadership toideate beyond basic ideas of reform, to amuchmore transformationalmindset andway ofthinking.WhichrequiresanongoingengagementinbothdivergentANDconvergentprocessestowardscreatingandrecreatingtheorganizationtowardsabetterfuture.Inmanyways,itisseeingdesignasawaytoreimagineourwayforward.Creatingnewcapacitiesbydesigning intentionaland focused idea flowswill supportongoingindividual and organizational renewal and growth. Designing environments where we cangrapplewithbigideasandbigquestionswillpushusbeyondcurrentboundariesthatconstrainthe creative capacity of our systems and thinking. Designing collective and collaborativeopportunitieswillallowus topushpastparts toseewholes.Designing transparency intoourprocesses allows us to engage 30,000 foot views of where to place our organizational nextsteps, as well as determining themental models that impede those steps toward a greatervisionofthefuture.AsJamshidGharajedaghiputsforthinSystemsThinking:ManagingChaosandComplexity,“Inan unpredictable, turbulent environment, the viability of any design will depend on itscapabilitytoexploreandexploitemergingopportunitiesallalongthevaluechain.”Whichmeansthatisnotenoughtoonlydesignbettersystems,structures,andprocessesintoand within our organizations, we also have to the ability and the foresight to engage ourpeople,ourorganizations,andourleadershipin‘aroundthecorner’thinking…

LeaderasPioneer…

OneofthemostdifficultthingswefaceinthecurrentroleofleadershipinaVUCAWorld,willbe to effectively evolve ourselves and our organizations into the future. Itwill require us tountieourselvesfrommanyofthementalmodelsofthepastthatkeepusmiredandsecuredinstatusquowaysofdoingandoperating.Thisideathatwhathasalwaysbeenwillalwaysbe…In aworld that is changing at an exponential rate, irrelevance from ‘what has always been’thinkingeruptsandexpandsitsscopeinamuchbroaderandmoreencompassingmanner.Theturbulenceofchangecannotonlybeparalyzingtoactionandchange,itcancauseustorecoiltopastpracticesandmentalmodelsthatprovideacalmingreassuranceandfeelingofcomfortandsafety.Andatthesametime,unfortunatelyshieldusfromtheorganizationaldysfunctionandirrelevancetheyaremanifestingintheircradlingcocoon.Wehavetobeabletomovepastthosepractices,processes,structuresandevenmodelsthatinhibit growth and experimental, discovery learning. To rethink, reframe, reimagine, andredesignhowwewillmoveintothisnewandoftenveryuncomfortablefuturethatisevolvingandunfoldingitselfinrealtime.Thisshiftfromtheageoftheexperttotheworldofthelearnerrequiresustomovebeyondtheresearch to more experimental, discovery learning if we are to even begin to considerparallelingpacingthestaggeringspeedthatchangehassetforsociety. It will require us to not only rethink and reimagine our systems and processes, but ourorganizationsandhow thosewithin them learn.Thiswill requiredeep learning to create thetypeof transformationneeded tobetterprepareour childrenandadults for a verydifferentworldandfuture. The volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that this bell is summoning isoverwhelming in its scope. The sheer audacity and disruption required in attempting toredesign and reimagine our systems and the leadership required to heave this lift istremendouseveninitsconsideration.However, it didnot stop those facingmanyof these sameobstacles and challengesasourorganizationsandleadersrolledintothefirstindustrialrevolution. The first industrial revolution required a disruptive overhaul of many of our systems,organizations and leadership…the same disruptive shifts will eventually be required of ourcurrentsystems,organizationsandleadershipaswemoveintothefourthindustrialrevolution. What was designed for the linear and predictable won’t automatically shift to becomingcreativeandinnovative. We need leaders in today’s world who can begin to prepare our organizations for theexponentialshiftsthatareexplodingacrosstheentiretyofoursocietallandscapes.Muchoftheleadershipabilitiesandskill-setsthatwerebotheffectiveandefficient intheindustrialmodel

weare finding to beneither effectivenor efficient to the changes thatwe are experiencing.Leadingtoday’smodernorganizationswillrequireustonotonlydodifferent,butwemustalsolearntothinkdifferent. And yet, what we often find is that we are ill-equipped for the future-casting necessary tobetter prepare ourselves for aworld that has learned to accelerate the pace of our societalshifts.Inmostcases,wefindthatwearenothard-wiredforthenon-linear,‘aroundthecorner’thinking required to deal with the explosive shifts we are witnessing across society’s digitallandscape. In fact, we are hard-wired for a muchmore incremental, linear and predictableapproachtochange.When our mindsets are linearly and incrementally-focused, when our mental models areentrenchedinthepastandwefindourselvesunabletoseethepossibilitiesofthefuture,westruggletocomprehendandenableamindsetthatallowsustomovepastcurrentlimitationsthat inhibitus fromdealingmoreeffectivelywith thesheerpaceandexplosivemagnitudeofexponentialgrowth. Today’s educatorsmust bemuchmore aware of these exponential shifts and how they aredisrupting the futureofworkandhow thatdisruptionhasdeep implications for the focusofeducationifwearetopreparemoreeffectivelyforthefutureofourstudents.However, it is not just individuals who are hard-wired to progress in more incremental,predictableandlinearways,itisalsoentrenchedandingrainedinourleadership,organizationsand systems. Which is leading to a disconnect between the digital and technologicaltransformation taking place across the societal landscape and the speed at which ourorganizationsareinnovatingandevolvingintothisunpredictablefuture.So while this digital and technological transformation is shuttling forward at an oftenincomprehensiblerate,manyofourorganizationsremainburiedinthestasisandstatusquooflinearreformefforts.Whichisnottosaythatourorganizationsshouldormustmoveatthesameturbulentpaceofthistransformationalpaceofchange,howeverthatisnottosaythatchangeisn’tnecessaryorneeded.Infact,thecurrentpaceatwhichwearepioneeringandinnovatingourorganizationsforwardisleadingmanyofourcurrentorganizationsintofutureirrelevance.Inmanyways,weneedleadersandorganizationsthatcanbegintoincorporateaverydifferentway of thinking and doing.We need leaders and organizations that can begin to take on apioneeringmindset.Amindsetthatallowsourleaderstonotonlymovebeyondlinearwaysofthinking and reacting, but allows them to connect dots thatmove them forward in amuchmore innovative, agile, adaptive, and relevantmanner, especially as the disruptive pace andmanner of change in today’s world levies itself down upon our organizational structures,processesandsystems.Be clear, this is not about change for change’s sake. This is not about engaging in constantorganizational disruption. Rather, it is about engaging a mindset (pioneer) that allows ourindividuals, our leadership and our organizations to comprehend and reflect upon the linearnature that holds us back from engaging greater visions and seeing the plethora of newpossibilitiesandopportunitiesthatlaybeforeus.

LeaderasChallenger…Thecycleofchangeisnolongeraslow,deliberateandsluggishwheelslowlyrollingusintothefuture.Itisrevvedupanderratic,spinningatafrenziedrelentlessnesspace.Thrustingchangeforwardinanoftenchaoticandturbulentmanner.Thisisneitherapositivenornegative,asitjust is. Thepositiveornegative rests inour ability to comprehendand recognizehow theseforcesareaffectingourpeople,ourorganizationsandoursociety.As Jeff Dyar andNathan Furr share inThe InnovatorsMethod, “It’s a cliché to say that theworldismoreuncertainthaneverbefore,butfewpeoplerealizetheextentoftheincreaseinuncertaintyover thepast thirtyyears.More important, theydon’tunderstand thatgreateruncertaintyhascreatedtheneedtochangethewaymostorganizationsaremanaged.”Sometimeswhatwe have to understand is that themorewe try to provide assurances andensurecertaintyinthemidstofthischangestorm,thedeeperwepushourorganizationsintotherutofirrelevancewearetryingsodesperatelytoavoid.Toomanyorganizationstrytobeananchorinthisstormbyemployingcommandandcontrolprocessesandhierarchicalstructures.Processesandstructuresthatendupbeingtheanchorthatslowlydragsthemdownintotheabyssofnoreturn.Instead,today’sorganizationsneedtocutloosefrommanyoftheseanchorsandbegintolearntoridethisstormforwardintothefuture.Pastandevencurrent leadershipstrategieshaveaclear focuson linearpathsandprocesses,not understanding that this leadership mindset severely limits not only the creative andinnovativeforcesinanorganization,butthemeansandpracticesthatleadtomorerapidandagilefunctioningatalllevelsoftheorganization.Aswemove forward,wehave to recognize that in timesof great changeanduncertainty,manyofourtriedandtrueleadershipstrategiesareoftennolongereffectiveorevenviable.Today’seffectiveorganizationswillneedtobemoreagile-mindedandpivot-enabled.Thedaysofplan,plan,plan,then launch, followedbymonitor,monitor,monitorandpush,push,pushforfidelityarebecomingadistantmemoryasaviablestrategytodealwiththefreneticpaceofchangewefaceintoday’sworld.Thiscommandandcontrolhierarchicalstructureonlytendstoinvitepushbackanddisengagementinourmodernorganizations. Itdoeslittletobuildupthecapacityoftheorganizationthroughautonomyandintrinsicmotivation.Today’s leaderswill have to challenge the sustainingof ‘past’ practices,whenmoving into‘next’practicesiswhat’snecessaryandneeded.Weliveinamuchmoredemandingworld.Aworldwherethepreferencesoftheuserandtheprovider must be taken into account on a much deeper level. Which requires betterunderstanding(empathy)ofthoseweserveandtheexperience(designthinking)thatweaimtoprovide through the service.This requiresnewandbroader conversationsatall levelsof theorganization, as well as requiring new understandings and strategies from leaders andleadership thatcascadedownacross theentiretyof theorganizational landscape. Inability toengageinthismannerwillleadtodisengagementbeyondwhatalreadyexistsinthemajorityofourorganizations(over70%accordingtoGallup),aswellastheinabilitytoprovideservicesthatareinthebestinterestandneedsofthoseweserve.

There isno certainty in thiswork. It requiresdeeper conversations,discovery learning,moreexperimentation,betterfeedback,andongoing iterations,andeventhen,wemaynothitthemark.Butunwillingnesstoengageinthisheavyliftingwillleaveusevenfartheroffthemark.Believing that you can provide certainty in any environment in this day and age is bothmisguidedandfutile.Which is why experimentation, risk-taking, exploring, discovery learning, feedback, openchannels of communication will be vital to the success of today’s modern organizations. Itrequires one foot in the present and one foot moving forward into the future. It requires‘aroundthecorner’ thinkingfromleadersandawillingnesstoengagenewlearningand ideasfrom all levels of the organization, which is often impeded by severity of our hierarchicalstructures.Wecan’treadthetealeavesandforecastthefuture,wecan’talwaysberightonwhatisgoingtohappennext,orevenknowwhatchangeswillandcanpulltherugoutfromunderusnext,butwecanworktochallengeandengagethethinkingandideasthatmaypossiblyputusoutinfrontoftheplethoraofunknownsanduncertaintyaccompanyingthesechangeforcesweface.Just realize that therewill be no straight shot forward. Itwill require shifts and tweaks andshuffles. Itwill oftenbeone step forwardand two stepsback,orone step forwardand twosteps to the left. Itwill require fast and slow, patient andurgent. Therewill bedetours andrabbitholes,itisjustapartoftheprocessofchangeandpushingforward.Leadership intimesofunknowns,ambiguityanduncertaintyrequiresmoretimewithpeople.More timecreating connectionsand relationships, asopposed tomore time strategizingandplanning.Whichisachallengeinandofitself.Thelearningandthewayforwardoftenmorphsitselfoutoftheseconversationsandconnections.Itisthroughthisorganicprocessthatdeeperunderstandingsandlearningsarise.Itiswherecollaborativeflowsleadtoastrongerecosystemthatfeedstheorganizationforwardthroughanopenandongoingpipelineofrenewal.And itwill require amore responsive and empathetic form of leadership. One that ismoreaware of the needs, the preferences and the changes that are stirring at all levels of anorganization.Whichrequiresleaderstorememberthischallenge;itdoesn’tmatterhowfastyouaretothefinishline,ifyou’recontinuallyprovidinganswerstothewrongquestions.

InConclusion…Howweapproachthefutureisgoingtobeveryimportant…Evenintoday’sexponentiallychangingandshiftingworld,westillhavethisingrainedtendencytoapproachthevery‘idea’ofthefutureasthisstaticandpreordainedprocessthatweacceptasaninevitableconsequenceofourpastandpresent.Wetendtoremainunableorunwillingtolookat the futureasanongoing,evolving,active,andemergentprocess thatwehaveactualinfluence over. Instead, we take a more reactive than proactive approach to the emergentfuture.Toooftenweviewthefuturewitha‘noun’lens,ratherthanwitha‘verb’view…Andwhenwedotakeamoreproactiveapproachtowardsinfluencingtheemergingfuture,westruggle to do itwithout dragging in preconceivedmodels of the past.Models that keep usentrenchedandblindedfromseeingitsemergencewithoutbeinganchoredtothesafetyofourmodelsofthepastandpresentthat impedeandencroachonitsprogress,oftenhinderingitsabilitytounfoldfreelyandfully.Imaginetryingtoblowupanairraftwhileitisstillintheboxitcamein…The future is in a constant, active state of emerging and realizing itself. Yet, as individuals,organizations and systems, we do little to engage ourselves in the shaping of itsemergence.Thefutureisnotsomethingthatwemustaccept,ratheritissomethingwemustlearntoengage.Inmanyways,itservesasourgreatestdesignchallenge.Whichistherealitythatwearebeingcurrentlythrustinto…Thepastno longersufficesasaguideorsupporttotakeuseffectively intothisexponentiallyevolving future that we are facing as individuals and organizations. In many ways, the pastentrenches us in a reactive stance that ingrains present patterns, behaviors, processes, andmodelsthatkeeptheusfromemergingmorefullyandproactivelyintotheopportunitiesthatthefuturemayaffordus.Todothiswork,tobemoreeffectiveasleaders,wearegoingtohavetocreatethespacetobemuchmoreself-reflectiveandfuture-flective.OrasPeterSenge,C.OttoScharmer,JosephJaworskiandBettySueFlowersshareinPresence,“Slow down. Observe. Then act fast and with a natural flow that comes from the innerknowing.Youhavetoslowdownlongenoughtoreallyseewhat’sneeded.Withafreshnessof vision, you have the possibility of a freshness of action, and the overall response on acollective level can be much quicker than trying to implement hasty decisions that aren’tcompellingtopeople.”Whichmustbepartofaleadersreflectiveprocess.Awareness.Awarenessofthebusynessandurgencythatcreepsinandtakesover.Itisdifficulttoengageinforgingafuturemindsetifweare constantly consumed by the busyness that surrounds and infiltrates our lives and ourorganizations. We find ourselves consumed by the efficient and urgent, rather than theeffectiveandimportant.Inmanyways,itgoesbacktofindingtimetobeslow,togofast.

The futurewillbeverydifferent,wehave the choice to fightand recoil from it,orwecandeterminetoproactivelyseeandinfluenceitsemergence…Thisisthenewworldandthefutureweface.Andwehaveachoice.Wecanchoosetopositivelyinfluenceitorultimatelyrecoilfromitsemergence.Andremember,acaterpillarcanonlyinchalonginanincrementalmanner;itisonlyinitswillingnesstotransformitselfintoabutterflythatfreedomandflightintothefutureareachieved.“Inatimeofexplodingchange–withpersonallivesbeingtornapart,theexistingsocialordercrumbling,andafantasticnewwayoflifeemergingonthehorizon–askingtheverylargestofquestionsaboutourfutureisnotmerelyamatterofintellectualcuriosity.Itisamatterofsurvival.”-AlvinToffler

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