A video playlist to help you think about your future.
Some people see the future and see a threat – innovators see the same future and see opportunity!
by JimCarroll
A video playlist to help you think about your future.
Some people see the future and see a threat – innovators see the same future and see opportunity!
by JimCarroll
“There are two types of people in the world. Successful ones who listen to futurists. And other people!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
That’s a little bit blunt, isn’t it?
But it’s quite true! For well over 25 years, my primary role has been advising people and organizations about the trends that will impact them, the future they might see, what tomorrow might bring. With clients like Disney, NASA, the World Bank, and more, I must be pretty good at it!
And yet I observe people always saying such things as “wow, I didn’t see that coming.” “If we only knew!” “Who could have predicted that!” “What a surprise!” “We never had the slightest idea!”
I did! And so did my many counterparts who spend our time studying trends, thinking about tomorrow, conducting our research, analyzing our analysis. If you are continually surprised by what comes next, you are missing opportunities by way of negligence!
Tomorrow morning I’ll be spending time with the owner’s group of a major pizza franchise organization in the US; they are bringing me in (virtually, of course!) for an overview of what the restaurant and food industry might look like through 2021 and beyond, post-Covid. They know that their universe has shifted, the customer has changed forever, lifestyle and behavioral patterns have been redefined.
They have a rough sense as to what comes next but believe that they need some good, concise, research-backed insight on how to make sense of all the future-noise. That’s my job and is indicative of the odd-job that I’ve been practicing for close to thirty years. I don’t mind saying that I’m pretty good at it.
Are you thinking about tomorrow? Are you actually do something about it? Or does surprise rule your agenda and define your future?
by JimCarroll
“Santa rocks at innovation!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
That was the focus of a show I filmed in the home broadcast studio
The context?
Every year around this time, I share a blog post I wrote way back in 2006: “Why Santa Rocks at Innovation!”
This year, I decided to go one better from my virtual broadcast studio – I decided to interview Santa himself, for insight on how he has adapted to Covid-19!
It’s the first in my new series ‘Reinventing Your Reality: Stories from the Studio On Personal Growth and the Future.‘ This irregular series will feature me interviewing a wide range of people as to their path to personal reinvention. Next up – a rock star!
What did I write in 2006? Read below! He is a true motivational genius!
It’s likely a good time to put into perspective the critical lessons we can learn from someone who is a true master of leadership, insight, creativity, and innovation.
None other than the jolly old fellow himself!
Santa is an innovation master. Analyze his leadership style, and his operational insight, motivational style, approach to creativity, forward-thinking orientation, or any other management trait, and he has it nailed.
Here’s what we can learn from Santa Claus.
I dunno about you, but I’m inspired by the fellow!
by JimCarroll
A clip for my Notable Keynotes – Lessons in Leadership For Our Eventual Post-Pandemic Recovery series – about the time the WSJ – the Wall Street Journal – had me in for a talk to senior business leaders.
The context? The psychological impact of the great economic meltdown of 2008-2009 was still a challenge to be dealt with ; the mindset of many people was far too focused on the negativity around them rather than the positivity that exists in aligning to what comes next.
I took a look at that issue in my short talk and time on a panel discussion, bringing up the point of ‘aggressive indecision‘ which seems to envelop the mindset of such leaders. I coined that phrase way back in 2001 in my weekly column in the Globe and Mail, a national Canadian newspaper that featured my tech column for 5 years.
Think about that phrase – it might be the foundation of your future-alignment (or lack thereof) at this very moment as we eventually make our way into a post-pandemic world.
by JimCarroll
“Every great idea is always just on the edge of discovery!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
You might be familiar with an ill-fated observation often attributed to the head of the US Patent Office in 1902 that “everything that can be invented has been invented.” (Fun fact: he never actually said this.)
But people often discount the potential for new ideas and opportunities, and this is particularly true during a period of volatility and uncertainty such as we are witnessing today. That was the focus of a little ‘show’ I did yesterday in my Notable Keynotes – Lessons in Leadership For Our Eventual Post-Pandemic Recovery series – about the time the WSJ, or Wall Street Journal had me in for a talk to senior business leaders.
The context? The psychological impact of the great economic meltdown of 2008-2009 was still a challenge to be dealt with ; the mindset of many people was far too focused on the negativity around them rather than the positivity that exists in aligning to what comes next.
I took a look at that issue in my short talk and time on a panel discussion, bringing up the point of ‘aggressive indecision‘ which seems to envelop the mindset of such leaders. I coined that phrase way back in 2001 in my weekly column in the Globe and Mail, a national Canadian newspaper that featured my tech column for 5 years.
Think about that phrase – it might be the foundation of your future-alignment (or lack thereof) at this very moment. That’s what I took a look at in my WSJ story yesterday.
Every great discovery always remains out there on the edge, as yet undiscovered. And yet people are blind to this reality. My experience tells me that most people are blind to the future, oblivious to opportunity, unaware of what comes next! Fun story – that very same newspaper canceled my column right about that time. I vividly remember staring in astonishment as I looked at the editor as he advising me of this news. The dot.com bust was in full swing, he noted, and there would be no more technology yet to come. The technology story was over, he said. People needed to move on.
What a narrow-minded twit! An oblivious, small-minded, narrow thinking idiot! The next few years saw the arrival of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Tesla, Salesforce, Slack, and so many other transformative and destructive technology companies and platforms. (Was I and am I a little bitter over this? Still!)
The next time someone tells you that there are no more trends that will define our future, discount them, for they know not that of which they speak! LOL!
by JimCarroll
“Don’t let that vast space inside your head – aka as your imagination – go unused!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
I will admit that I have a ridiculous amount of fun when I head down to my virtual broadcast studio!
There is simply so much to explore, new ideas to pursue, features to understand. I keep expanding the size of the virtual coincident with the size of my virtual imagination!
I never really used this particular shot in any substantive way, but one day, I will. I was at this moment exploring a new software feature that let me take my camera view and place it anywhere on the screen and size myself appropriately. It’s a stage, similar to the real stages I used to walk upon!
If you don’t have your old reality for a time, you simply find a different one.
I’m told by many people that this type of virtual setup is impossible to use in an online Webinar – on an iPhone, I’m simply too small, too far away, too insignificant. And yet, what I’m learning in this new format is how to use a string of these types of scenes to build my story, or to introduce a segment.
The new world of online meetings is more akin to a broadcast than it is to a keynote, and I am busy exploring, adapting, innovating, attempting.
I’ve got this huge empty space in my head that needs to be filled with new ideas – on a continuous, regular basis.
How about you?
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