Futuristic Thinking is a sought after, essential, leadership skill. Why? If effective leadership is about creating a better future, it might be a good idea to give the future some serious thought.
How do you develop your futuristic thinking? Perhaps I can help with some simple insights.
First, a definition:
Futuristic Thinking:
Imagining, envisioning, projecting and/or creating what has not yet been actualized.– TTI Success Insights
To develop your futuristic thinking habits, let’s review the insight from this Japanese Proverb:
Vision without Action is a Daydream. Action without Vision is a Nightmare.
Why? It’s easy to fall into either of these two traps.
Try going shopping without a list or specific buying intentions. Or how often do you get lost or off task surfing the web? The moral: To create a better future, leaders and followers alike need both vision and action.
Effective leaders need to combine both vision and action. How do you avoid those two traps of not connecting the two? Here are two critical futuristic questions that leaders can and should ask as a litmus test for effective application of futuristic thinking:
If you’re serious about aligning both your vision and actions, Which answer describes the shortest path to future success. Which describes a “nightmare“?
AcknowledgementThe two crucial questions are courtesy of Lisa Huetteman. Lisa is a valued colleague and learning partner. Among her impressive attributes, she’s the author of The Value of Core Values Five Keys to Success Through Values Centered Leadership. If you’re involved in strategic thinking for your organization, The Value of Core Values is a must read. Even if you’re not, consider how might you put her two questions to use.
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