It’s not about predicting the future, but to make it possible to imagine multiple futures in creative ways that heighten our ability to sense, to shape and to adapt to what happens in the years ahead of us. Farsightedness or Strategic Foresight is not what to think about the future, however, to figure out how to think about it.
A key thing is that the system selects the chief of staff to work with the commander. “When I look back now, I really appreciate how much effort went in selecting the right chiefs of staff to work with the right commanders.
Courage is necessary to make change possible. And intellectual courage is necessary to challenge conventional wisdom and the imagination of new possibilities. Leadership must refuse to accept limits or stop at industry boundaries. Lack of courage prevents positive change at all levels. Look at ineffective politicians who shift positions based on polling data, not on their convictions. Managers equivocate in response to new initiatives, observe struggles without support and without resources.