FORBES IS WRONG
The Forbes article What Wall Street Needs Now includes “Good Leaders Recognize When Patterns Change,” as the first item on their list. Well, that’s not good enough for me and it shouldn’t be good enough for you. Once the pattern changes everyone can see it, and a good leader should not be in the crowd. She should be ahead of it. Good Leaders see when patterns are ABOUT to change. While everyone else is looking at a clear bright picture of the present the savvy leader sees the vague outline of an emerging pattern through the incoming fog. Investors laughed and ignored lesser known fund managers who saw the emerging housing crash through the fog of exuberance. Some of these “lesser knowns” took 500% in returns to the bank.
HOW TO HONE THE ART OF SEE-ING INTO THE FUTURE
1. Look for data (not just numbers) over a broad and varied horizon. Look in unusual places.
2. Observe, study and understand universal motivators and patterns of behavior.
3. Note fleeting thoughts and hunches that typically fly into your mind almost without notice then escape quickly without your attention. Later when the hunch emerges as a reality, you recall the fleeting thought.
Record these hunches and see whether they take place in reality.
These practices will help you know when to trust a sighting of the future and to act before everyone else sees it.
QUICK STORY
Yesterday a client, whose company is fifth in their industry for market share with a goal of becoming number one or two, expressed doubt that unless the company begins to do what the top 4 do now, they won’t achieve the goal. “Well, that’s all fine and good,” I said. “But what about looking at what they do differently AND what they aren’t doing as a way of catapulting your company ahead of the pack?” He took out his pen and made a note.