When the future is happening fast – so are new legal risks. So much so, that became one of my 19 Trends for 2019 – key trends to watch as we go into a faster. This UK/US law firm invited me in to speak at their annual partners conference in New York City to challenge their team to think about how to alginate to the era of new, more complex, interconnected risk. It was but one of quite a few similar events I’ve done for some of the largest legal firms in the world!
Archives for June 2018
Daily Inspiration: “In this era of global hyperconnectivity, the world has an instant window into the essence of your soul!”
“In this era of global hyperconnectivity, the world has an instant window into the essence of your soul!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
How many of you are holding back from saying the things that need to be said? I do, each and every day. I believe that I am a person with good moral values, deep beliefs in the equality of people, and compassion that drives my actions.
Sometimes, it gets to be too much, particularly in the last few days. I have a new friend. His name is Thomas. He is 25, and has Down syndrome. He skied with me this year, and I was rewarded with an awesome smile throughout our time together, and a fist bump at the end of every run. That is the only way he could express himself to me. I walked away that day with joy in my heart. The other evening, on TV, a vile human being ridiculed a human with Down syndrome. The speakers bureau that represents him – whom I also work with – terminated their relationship with him. I wrote a blog post about this yesterday. I tried to temper my comments. I want you to read it. “‘Womp, Womp’, The Politics of Hate, and Why I Applaud My Partner Leading Authorities” When someone attacks young children, something is wrong. When someone attacks the disabled, something is sick. Fortunately, in an instant, the world saw into his soul and saw something dark. Be cautious with your hate, your vile thinking, your lack of humanity. The world is watching.
“Womp Womp”, The Politics of Hate, and Why I Applaud my Partner Leading Authorities!
Over a 25 year time span, I have built a remarkably successful career as a speaker, speaking to organizations worldwide about future trends, what comes next, and how best to get there. Take a look at my client list; many of the world’s biggest and most prestigious organizations have had me in for my insight. I must have some views and insights that are worthwhile.
Often, I am booked directly by those who find me online, but I am also regularly booked by some of the largest, most prestigious speakers bureaus in the world. Folks like the Washington Speakers Bureau and Canada’s National Speakers Bureau, among countless others – probably the top 30 agencies in the world actively work with me. I’ve spent a great deal of time over 20 years to build and nurture a relationship with these folks. It’s a pretty exclusive club — I am booked by the same people who book Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, various astronauts and business executives, sports figures, entertainers and more. It’s not a stretch to say that I operate at the elite level of the global speaking industry, with audiences of several thousand, in locations like Dubai, Oman, Tokyo, London and Washington.
In my spare time, my wife and business partner Christa volunteer our time to a local charity near our ski chalet north of Toronto. To that end, I would like you to watch this video clip about this group, known as Events for Life.
Events for Life provides daytime activities for young disabled adults; we have young people with autism and other disabilities, as well as those with Down Syndrome. Our goal is to give them a pathway and activities that help them to live an enriching life. We are overjoyed with the results.
Daily Inspiration: “Quit talking about change. Do change!”
‘Quit talking about change. Do change!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
People love to talk about doing things. Then, they don’t do them.
Inaction is a drug and an addiction that is hard to break free from. It’s easier to do nothing than to do something. Inertia is an anchor that holds you down.
In my line of work, I see it all the time, often looking back at the actions of some of my clients. A senior VP calls, excited for the opportunity to bring me in to talk about serious strategies to deal with the disruption in their industry. We arrange for an offsite leadership meeting; a careful agenda is constructed; I lead with a rip-roaring talk that clearly outlines the nature of the challenge and opportunity in front of them if they choose to act.
And then, nothing. After the event, organizational sclerosis settles in. A culture of indecision and fear smothers their enthusiasm like a blanket; no one can make a decision on the big, bold steps that we spoke about at the event. And so over time, customers change, products become irrelevant, skills go out of a date, new competitors decimate the business model, and the organization slides into decline.
I don’t think I’ll ever figure this out, but it happens. People love to talk a great game, but they often don’t play one.
Will you?
Daily Inspiration: “If everyone around you is saying ‘we don’t need to do that right now,’ you have a bigger problem than you think!”
“If everyone around you is saying ‘we don’t need to do that right now,’ you have a bigger problem than you think!” – #Futurist Jim Carroll
You are probably already nodding your head in agreement.
I feel bad for many of the potential clients that approach me to come in for a talk. They call me with great excitement after having found me. We have a great discussion around the ways that I will kick their innovation efforts into high gear and accelerate their capabilities. We speak about the vast range of trends that I will cover for them in order to help their team comprehend how their industry, customers, market, and business model is being subjected to relentless change.
Excited, they take it to their ‘team’ or their boss, and the answer comes back: “We don’t need to do it right now.”
This happens far more often than you might believe. So much so, that I wrote a blog post around the trend: “What does it mean when your CEO says we don’t need to do that right now?” If you don’t prepare for the future now, when do you? After it happens? That doesn’t make a lot of sense. And yet, countless people and organizations do exactly that.
Then, they sit back and complain with astonishment: “Whoah, I didn’t see that coming.” You should have, because the future is happening all around us, right now, at this very moment.
How do you fix this? Read the blog post above for some great ideas!
Daily Inspiration: “To win the race to the future, find a partner who is faster than you!”
“To win the race to the future, find a partner who is faster than you!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
I had a great question during the Q&A yesterday when I spoke to a group looking to build a $450 million hospital. They brought me in to spur on their ideas as to how to build a facility that was truly ready for the future.
The question? What would be the one most important thing that they could do to make sure they were doing the right things to keep up with the era of acceleration?
I had to pause and think for a moment — but fast, since I was on stage!
And I realized that my talk really focused on the fact that so much of this sector, like every other industry, is being impacted by technology – and technology is changing fast. Hence, their best partner to help them deal with the speed of change coming into healthcare was to find and work with a partner in the technology industry – someone in Silicon Valley, most likely.
Driving home, I thought about all the industries and all the companies I’ve spent time with over a 25 year speaking career. The common thread for all of them is that tech is changing their industry, and its’ acerbating that speed of change. Looking back, the successful companies are those who have found truly great partners who understand the depth and speed of change that is underway, and who can help them deal with the systemic acceleration is underway.
On its own, I like the quote even without the technology angle. Do you have a fast partner in your life?
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