Futurist Jack Uldrich reimagines leadership in a post-crisis world.

With all due respect to Fleetwood Mac, many people “can’t stop thinking about tomorrow” because they never begin in the first place. Bill Gates’ solution to this problem is to dedicate one week a year to thinking about the future. He calls this week, quite unoriginally I might add, “Think Week.” Now, I can almost…

Have you ever been in a meeting where, at the end, the leader asks “Any questions?” It is an innocuous question. In fact, it sounds as though the leader is open-minded and encouraging questions and discussion. Often, though, the question is offered in the unsaid but implicit tone that the leader has made everything so…

For some time now, I have been advocating (here and here) the idea of getting a reverse mentor. (In fact, I even have a reverse mentor. His name is Simon Anderson and he is one of the most promising young futurists I know.) Why a reverse mentor? The world is moving so fast that it…

It has been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. To this end, I have said on numerous occasions that one of the finest leaders (and futurists) of the 20th century was General George C. Marshall. Why? Because it is largely the result of his visionary leadership that America…

I’m in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania today to deliver the keynote speech at the Ben Franklin Technology Partners annual iX Change conference. The theme of this year’s event is “Leading in an Era of Exponential Growth.” In honor of Ben Franklin, I’d like to share just one short section of a lengthy article I wrote back in…

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson  Question: What do chameleons do? They do many things but the one thing they don’t do is change color to match their background. Chameleons do, however, change color in response to changes in light and temperature. They also change appearance when frightened or…

In the past year, I have given dozens of keynote presentations to a variety of clients. Below is a short 10-minute speaking demo. If you are looking for an engaging, entertaining and informative keynote speaker for your conference or event, please contact either Mimi Hair or Ryan Foltz at Leading Authorities or Angela Schlep at…

Effective people come in many different shapes, sizes and forms but among the most dangerous are those who are convinced their past success is a positive indicator of future success. If you are an effective person and wish to remain successful in the future here are seven habits you may want to unlearn: 1. You…

Take a look at the image to the right. It is a visual display of Everett Roger’s famous model of diffusion. I, however, want you to look at it differently. Consider it, instead, “an unlearning curve.” Conventional wisdom tells us that it is safe in the middle. Advertising and marketers frequently target their message toward…