From the stage
Speaking to college and university leaders, I ran a live text-message poll, and the results were revealing. Most agreed they weren't positioned for a fast-paced future. Most agreed massive change was coming. And yet a big chunk of the room said it wasn't necessary to act right now. So I asked:
"What excuses do you hear? What holds us back from pursuing the future?"
Then I reminded them of the old office game, Bull**** Bingo, where you'd quietly tick off buzzwords during meetings. The trouble is, buzzwords and excuses do the same damage: they fill a meeting without changing anything.
"How do we reconcile that contradiction?"
Why it matters
That contradiction lives in almost every organization: we know it's coming, we're not ready, and we'll deal with it later. Buzzwords make it feel like we're dealing with it. They aren't action. Teams aren't inspired by slogans; they're inspired by leaders who actually move.
The takeaway
- Count the buzzwords in your next leadership meeting, then count the decisions.
- If your team agrees change is coming but "not yet," you have your answer on where to start.
- Think big, start small, scale fast.
Related: Earlier: "Beware Bull**** Bingo! Because your team isn't inspired by your buzzwords!" - Futurist Jim Carroll (2022) · Education
From the Stage is a weekday series of short clips from more than 30 years of keynotes, and the leadership lessons that still matter.
