(Editor’s note: For the next four weeks, my colleague Jeff Appelquist and I will be in Montana leading a series of experiential leadership seminars based on my book, Into the Unknown: Leadership Lessons from Lewis and Clark’s Daring Westward Expedition. If you or your team are interested in learning how the program can support your strategic planning efforts, please contact me or visit Blue Knight Leadership. A short video of the program can be viewed here.)
Think: It appears as though General Mills may be working on “animal-free dairy.” If this is true, it could be a game changer for the dairy industry. According to the article, 65 percent of all Americans said they would be willing to try animal-free dairy and 54 percent said they would be willing to buy the product. Whether you like this idea or not, it is something farmers and the dairy industry need to be thinking about right now.
Think in Questions: Fellow futurist Ross Dawson asks an intriguing question that is sure to get you thinking: In the future what will we look back at in horror about our world?
Think Differently: In my latest article on LinkedIn, I discuss How Businesses Can Prepare for the Upcoming Legals Rights of Nature. Some business people might think granting “legal personhood” to rivers, lakes, and mountains is a fringe idea but the prudent leader is encouraged to begin thinking about the issue today. (In my home state of Minnesota, wild rice (the water dwelling plant) has recently been designated the lead plaintiff in a case being brought before the state courts.)
Think Regeneratively: My latest article in Forbes discusses the emerging trend of regenerative agriculture. In this case, the article is directed at grocers and retailers, but it is equally important that leaders in farming and agri-business begin thinking about how to leverage this powerful trend. (Fun fact: By the end of the decade regenerative agriculture–which seeks to protect the soil, enhance biodiversity, and store more carbon in the land than traditional agriculture–is expected to be at least 4X larger than all organic farming.)
Heart-Centered Thinking: Two university professors receiving a grant to study climate change isn’t news. Two science professors receiving a grant to study the role of “awe and fear” in addressing climate change is interesting. I am particularly intrigued by the idea that the reason the scientists applied for the grant is because they now believe that what is needed is a “spiritual and cultural transformation.”
Afterthought: “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”–Henry Ford
