Now more than ever, it’s the time to decide if you are a leader or a follower.
A client of mine wasn’t able to get a futurist to speak at an upcoming team building meeting. Instead, I spend hours watching TED talks and YouTube videos of experts in their fields make predictions about the future of medication, money, education, employment, and technology. The plan was that I would put together a short video containing the best pieces from these talks.
I know what others have said for years; that we are in historic change. But before watching these videos, I never knew to what extent. I became obsessed with the topic of what will life be like in 10-50 years.
This is no drill. We are evolving as a species at a rate we’ve never seen. Some say the changes are as monumental as when fish crawled out of the water and became a land animal. Others compare it to the second industrial revolution.
Within 10 years most of us will be driving electric cars. Soon after, autonomous cars will eliminate millions of jobs that require drivers. In the near future, our children will take pills to learn a language. Bitcoin will replace electronic and hard currency. Devices will read our minds. Our brains will be connected to the net just as our computers are today. 3D printers will create products that we don’t need to shop for. Most of our planet’s 8 billion people will have internet access.
This time is forcing us to ask the question: Are you going to be a leader, or are you going to follow?
And, in those areas you’re going to lead, why, how and what will you lead?
This is not a time to be a couch potato. Put down those chips, turn off that clicker, and get your ass in gear. Learn to lead. Be purpose driven. Create. Build. Make stuff happen. This is rock and roll time. Don’t let the train pass you by.