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We explore the importance of recognizing non-obvious trends and their implications for leadership and innovation with Rohit Bhargava, a 3-time Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. We discuss Norway's electric vehicle advancements, the preparation for the Leadership Conclave, and methods for effective trend spotting, including the Haystack method and scenario planning.
Planet Human
Electric vehicles have surpassed gas-powered cars in Norway.
Despite this progress, adoption is slowing due to infrastructural challenges, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to problem-solving.
Summary
Zoe shares personal updates:
Preparation is underway to collaborate with an assembly of leaders, Leadership Conclave: Charting the Course for 2025
The focus is on forecasting trends for 2025 and designing experiments to leverage opportunities while addressing potential threats.
Thought-Provoking Questions for Leaders, focusing on:
Encouraging leaders to reflect on their awareness of current trends and signals in their environment.
Exploring strategies for proactive leadership in a rapidly changing landscape.
Emphasizing the importance of creative thinking in identifying and understanding significant trends.
Rohit Bhargava reflects on:
Mindset Over Predictions: Rohit emphasizes the importance of cultivating a mindset for trend spotting, encouraging leaders to create mental space to uncover insights and focus on significant patterns.
Avoiding Over-Projections: He cautions against over-projecting trends, illustrating how existing patterns can evolve through significant occurrences, urging leaders to generate their own insights for navigating future possibilities.
Empowering Leadership: Rohit advocates for leaders to understand trend dynamics without needing to analyze every detail themselves, enabling them to challenge their teams effectively and foster insightful discussions.
Key Quotes
"We can't solve the whole problem with just one part of the problem; we need to think in systems." - Zoe
"Leaders must create mental space to uncover insights." - Rohit Bhargava
"Embrace the obvious insights; they often hold the key to broader understanding." - Rohit Bhargava
Questions Explored
What are you paying attention to?
How can leaders prepare for emerging trends?
What role does creativity play in recognizing patterns?
Take Action
Practice non-obvious thinking by observing everyday trends.
Engage in scenario planning to anticipate future developments.
Read Rohit Bhargava's book, Non-Obvious Thinking, for deeper insights.
Explore Power Games, Zoe’s upcoming book, for deeper insights on leadership and ethics.
Tip of the Week
Focus on developing a mindset that allows for strategic thinking and pattern recognition, which can lead to innovative solutions in leadership.
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome and Weekly Question
00:17 Electric Vehicle Revolution in Norway
01:38 Leadership Conclave Preparation
02:28 Reflecting on the Past and Future
05:43 Introducing Rohit Bhargava
06:50 Discussing Non-Obvious Trends
21:37 Breaking the Rules of Book Publishing
22:54 Time Horizons in Non-Obvious Thinking
25:37 Scenario Planning and Trend Prediction
28:39 The Haystack Method for Pattern Recognition
30:46 Surprising Insights in Non-Obvious Thinking
36:32 The Fast Three: Quickfire Questions
39:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
About Rohit Bhargava
Rohit Bhargava is the 3-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of nine books and has delivered sold out keynote presentations and workshops for audiences in 32 countries.
Event planners and audiences have described Rohit as “a rare mix of scary-smart and super engaging,” and “a master at weaving stories together.” Once he was evendescribed on Twitter by an attendee as “hilarious, like a social media savvy Robin Williams.”
He is the perfect choice when you want to bring a diverse outside perspective from an engaging speaker who has real practical experience with relevance to your industry, a unique point of view, and a delivery style that blends inspiration with action.
Related episodes on Future Trends
303 Six major trends for a better future with author Justin Bean
311 Navigating leadership trends with author Rohit Bhargava
140 The four archetypes of disruptive leadership with author Charlene Li
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About Zoë Routh
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the The Future of Leadership Podcast dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.