# From the Stage: Align to the Future or Fight It
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From the stage Closing my keynote for Black & Veatch, I described what disruption really does: it changes the products you make, the services you deliver, the skills you need and the competitors you face. And then I asked: "Are you going to align to the future or are you going to fight to the future?" Alignment, I said, means new ways of working, fast teams and real collaboration: "the future demands that you don't fight the future, you align to the future because that's where you discover the nexus of opportunity." Why it matters Fighting the future is surprisingly common. It looks like protecting a business model, lobbying against a new competitor, or simply refusing to change how work gets done. It can buy time, but rarely much. Aligning means accepting the direction of change and asking where you fit in it, early enough to shape it. The takeaway Where is your organization fighting a trend instead of riding it? Form one fast, cross-functional team around a change you can't stop. Change your future before the future changes you. Related: Earlier: Video: The Reality of Disruption! (2023) · Earlier: Daily Inspiration: "Denial of your reality is not going to lead you to a better outcome!" (2023) · Construction & Infrastructure From the Stage is a weekday series of short clips from more than 30 years of keynotes, and the leadership lessons that still matter.

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Source: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/10/from-the-stage-align-to-the-future-or-fight-it/