Understanding timing is critical – consider the rollout of self-driving cars!
Your Future in 120 Seconds or Less:
“The Future Happens Unevenly”
Your Future in 120 Seconds or Less:
Daily Inspiration: “Spend your time with the optimists! Those who are relentlessly positive!”
“Spend your time with the optimists! Those who are relentlessly positive! Who see opportunity around each and every corner! Because as you do so, you will help prove to them that they are right!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
We leave #Oman today with a heavy heart – have I mentioned it is a beautiful country, with absolutely wonderful people?
At my keynote the other day, senior government and business leaders spoke of the need for the region to move into the era that involves the end of the oil economy. There is a buzz here, as there is elsewhere in the region, that the future can be invented here. That the people and the economy need not be held back from pursuing the next opportunities of the 21st century.
A nation of optimists aligned to the future, as opposed to those I meet elsewhere who long for the past, and who would destroy their future through ill-thought barriers, walls and hatred of the ‘other.’
I don’t wear rose coloured glasses though. I know there are deep, complex political, social and national issues that the region is dealing with, and that people are trying to address. There are tremendous challenges in creating enough economic opportunity and momentum to keep the next generation employees and full of hope. There is and always will be an undercurrent of potential protest and rebellion.
But having said that, I also sense that there is an awareness that despite potential challenge, there is nothing but opportunity that is ahead.
The future is all about mindset. Attitude. Approach. Positive ideas. Relentless thinking about how to overcome barriers. Openness to other people and other ideas.
I leave Oman a better person, having learned much about those attitudes and beliefs. It’s all the future, and we are all a part of it.
Daily Inspiration: “What the translator heard: “Think BIG. Start a small business!”
What the translator heard: “Think BIG. Start a small business!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
Yesterday, my talk at the #IRUWorldCongress in Muscat, Oman, was translated in real time into Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and German. I deliberately kept my pace much slower than my normal speed in order that they might be a great partner to my effort.
This comes from experience. I’m regularly translated in real time – with over 25 years on the stage, I ‘speak global’. So much so that I’ve got a Web page which details some of the unique international situations I’ve found myself in: jimcarroll.com/about/global-experience/
And yet inevitability, the process of converting my phrases of inspiration into another language are faced with challenges. And so I picked up on this one as the result of a Tweet sent out at the conclusion of my remarks. Obviously, the translator was working hard, and interpreted my traditional closing message in a very unique way. The person who heard my message heard the translator – tweets happen fast – and so it captured a magical moment in a fascinating way.
And you know what – it works!
One of the key trends that I talk about with every audience is that much of the future is being invented by small organizations. They have the speed, agility and flexibility to do things that bigger organizations often cannot.
Serendipitously, this is a great quote!
Keynote: IRU World Congress, Muscat, Oman : The Acceleration of Trends and Transportation into 2025
What’s the future of highways and infrastructure in the era of electric self-driving vehicles? It’s hard not to underestimate the seismic change that is underway : one day we will look back and observe that while we once had cars that were based on carbon sources such as gasoline, and which were driven by humans, they are now electric, with batteries, and drive themselves. What’s the future f the highway and road in this conexdt? How do we make them intelligent, aware, hyperconnected, and part of the overall transformation of transportation that is underway? These were a few of the themes I gave as I opened this conference in the Middle East, with over 3,000 representatives from throughout the global transportation industry. Learn more about the keynote topic here.
Pre-Keynote Video: A Sneak Peek of My Topic
Daily Inspiration: “You have a choice: the future is going to happen whether you like it or not. Will you be part of it?”
“You have a choice to make: the future is going to happen whether you like it or not. Will you be part of it? Change your future, before it changes you!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
On stage moments ago #iruworldcongress
The photo is by the bodyguard! Pretty good, isn’t it!
This was a few hours ago when I was on stage, opening the 2018 IRU World Congress. What an exhilarating event in a fascinating city, Muscat, Oman.
The quote is paraphrased from a tweet that went out in the closing moments of my keynote, and is paraphrased and change just a bit.
Part of my closing message to this global conference for the trucking, roads, urban transport, supply chain and logistics industry is that tremendous change is coming to every single aspect of what they do and how they operate.
Obviously, the timing of many trends is a big issue, but they will happen.
Some companies and people will survive and thrive through the transition. Others will not.
People have a choice as to whether they want to be in the future or not.
Apparently, a certain country had an election yesterday – and people who believe in science, the future and global opportunity made their choice.
Maybe the world has stepped back from the brink of those who want to take us back to 1950.
What a fascinating time we live in.
A shoutout to the bodyguard!
Daily Inspiration: “Diversity of viewpoints is a sign of strength, not of weakness!”
“Diversity of viewpoints is a sign of strength, not of weakness!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
I’m often invited in to speak on stage to global Fortune 1000 companies about how to be more innovative, and build a culture of collaboration. With that, I’ll often focus on how ensuring that many different ideas and cultures are followed is one of the most important things you can do to foster a culture of innovation. The diversity of ideas and opinions is a strength.
I try to do that in my daily life as well. My wife and I just spent a delightful morning touring Oman with our guide Haimam (I might have got the spelling incorrect – Haimam, if I did, please send me a DM!), as we get ready for my keynote tomorrow morning.
We visited the Grand Mosque, the Opera House, souk and Palace.
During our time together, my wife and I spent a lot of time quizzing him about Omani culture, tradition, history and family life. I’m always taking advantage of the opportunity to learn from those around me, because if I know one thing it is this – I do not know enough about the world around me. I can always be learning so much more.
I also know that my Western upbringing has brought me to a rather shallow view of the world, and that I can better understand future trends — and really, become an overall person – by learning more about the diversity of ideas and cultures around me.
And so when it comes to the future, innovation and creativity, turning your own mind into a sponge like mine is one of the best things that your can do!
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