Thoughts From a Return to the Lecture Trail
During the depths of Covid, I half wondered if I would ever speak again. Then, last month, I returned to doing live events, mostly small. Last week, I returned to the big stage with a keynote and “talk show format” where I interviewed the CIO of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Green Bay Packers at Wisconsin’s Lambeau Stadium. I’m happy…
What John Naisbitt Taught Me About Navigating Today’s Rapid Changes
Editor’s Note: Futurist John Naisbitt died earlier this year at the age of 91. His contribution to the field of future studies was enormous, and he had an early influence in my career. The article below is a reflection on the man and his message. In 1982, futurist John Naisbitt wrote Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, which went…
Adapt or Die: Preparing for the Next Phase of Climate Crisis
As a futurist, I monitor a broad spectrum of trends, from demographic to technological to social and geopolitical. When it comes to climatological trends, I rely on forward thinking researchers like Rich Sorkin, who is helping institutions prepare for what the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calls the “irreversible” impacts of climate disasters ahead. Sorkin is chairman, CEO,…
Putting Leaders to the Test
As a college student, I was a volunteer on Joe Biden’s initial race for U.S. Senate. I recalled him saying something like, “If I’m elected, come see me in Washington.” Twenty or so years later I did just that. I put Biden to the test. It was after a speaking engagement in Washington, D.C. I was about to head to…
Why Now Is Time For A Strategic Leadership Retreat
During the depths of the Global Pandemic, I began to notice a disturbing comment in the interviews I conduct regularly with organizational leaders. It went something like this: “We can’t even think about next week, much less next quarter. Strategic planning and forward thinking are out the window.” It was an understandable sentiment. We were reeling, and there was no…
