Business leaders must spend more time thinking about the future. To help make this a habit, I have developed the “Future 15”–a policy of taking 15 minutes once a week to think about the future. To make the habit simple, I encourage business leaders to follow the 6 “F’s”: Every Friday at Four Forty-Five (4:45 pm) set aside Fifteen minutes to Focus on the Future. To make the habit easy, I have posted  Fifteen thought-provoking articles. Select one and think about what it means for you, your business, your business model, or your customers.

Think: Gradually, Then Suddenly. Want to know how the future will arrive? Read this article. #AI #Blockchain #DigitalPayments #Africa #5G #GeneEditing #BrainNeuralInterfaces will all follow this path.

Think Twice: Always think twice! Why? The answer is embedded within: Think Twice—you are on Thin Ice! Amazon has revealed how many Alexa devices have been sold. The answer is 100 million. This is an excellent follow-up to the article above (Gradually, Then Suddenly). The growth of artificial intelligence may appear gradual, but it will transform your business suddenly. You may be on thin ice. The time to think about AI is now!

Think Historically: The Future Altering Technologies We Forgot to Invent. This article provides a wonderful example of using history to think about the future. Can you learn from science fiction writers? Yes! This article will also get you thinking about how to plan less and tinker more.

Think Different: Breakout of the Corporate Bubble With Uncommon Partners. Want to think different? Find some uncommon partners. Lowe’s did.

Think Smarter: If You Want to Predict the Future, Find People Who Know What They Don’t Know. If you want to think smarter — and, really, who doesn’t — start by acknowledging what you don’t know. 

Think Harder: Why brands need to make 2019 their most human year ever. Human engagement and real connections could be a competitive advantage in 2019–and beyond. 

Think Like a Child: Did you grow up watching the Jetsons like me? If so, you can be forgiven if you thought flying cars would be here by 2019. But maybe it is time to begin thinking like a child again. Flying Cars Could Be Here By 2023.

Think in Questions: Why can Red Bull charge so much more for its energy drink than Coca-a-Cola? It’s a good question. This article, Predicting Human Behavior: The Missing Third, will provide some “food for thought” and it may help you come to some new insights about how to market your product.

Think 10X: This Tiny Bluetooth Chip Doesn’t Need a Battery Because it Harvests Power from the Air. This is a potential game changer. When products can communicate with you, the external environment, and the supply chain, a new world of possibilities opens up.

Think Better: The Board’s Role in Strategy. Are you utilizing your board effectively? You can think better. Your board can help. Remember: Two heads are better than one.

Think Faster: Future of Airport Security On Display in London. Do you know anyone who enjoys going through security at airports? If you want to think faster, identify anywhere your customers encounter friction in your business. (Do they stand in line? Do they wait on hold? Do they wait for service?)

Think Radically: The Most Powerful Person in Silicon Valley. Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Softbank, has a “300-year plan” and wants to help some businesses in real estate, transportation, commerce, and artificial intelligence “get 100 times bigger.” Is he crazy or just thinking radically?

Think Anew: The Strongest Opponents of GMO’s Know the Least but Think They Know the Most. “The feeling of understanding that they have stops them from learning the truth. Extremism can be perverse in that way.” Many people think GMOs are dangerous. They need to think anew. (If you are one of the people who thinks GMOs are bad, you especially need to think anew because you may know the least. Sorry.)

Think Sustainably: Bioengineered rice delivers a significant increase in grain yields. After wheat and corn (maize), rice is the world’s third largest crop. If the yield of rice increases 27 percent it would not only help feed a lot of people, it would produce extraordinary environmental benefits (think less land, less water, fewer chemicals.)

Think the Unthinkable: Taking an Elevator into Space Could Actually Happen. Here’s How. Does a space elevator sound impossible? Learn to think the unthinkable.

Want to think again? You can always revisit last week’s “Future 15”.

Until next week, remember: Don’t stop thinking about the future!