Learn How To Achieve The Upside of Disruption

Today’s leaders navigate an increasingly complex and volatile world that changes by the minute, facing uncharted forces from AI-driven disruption to talent scarcity and geopolitical risk. Yet we often overestimate the risks of bold decisions and underestimate the downside of standing still.

More specifically, according to Hack Future Lab:

93% of leaders expect significant AI-driven disruption over the next five years, but only 27% have the right mindsets and capabilities to respond.

81% of leaders agree that they feel overwhelmed by the speed and scale of business disruption.

77% of leaders believe that their organizations suffer from talent-crushing bureaucracy.

64% of leaders agree that their future readiness muscle is an obstacle to boldly seizing the future.

59% of leaders agree their organizations prioritize control and efficiency instead of agility and intelligence.

51% of leaders agree they don’t have enough time in their day to achieve their must-do priorities.

Fortunately, Terence Mauri wrote his new book, The Upside of Disruption: The Path to Leading and Thriving in the Unknown. That’s because in the book, Mauri distills how business leaders with the right mindsets and choices can unlock the huge upside of disruption, turning barriers into breakthroughs. The book is published in collaboration with Thinkers50, a global authority on today’s top business thinkers.

“In our age of Meta Anxiety and relentless pressure to perform, it's surprisingly simple to miss the upside – particularly with our human bias that craves certainty,” explains Mauri.

By challenging the outdated belief that risk and volatility are to be avoided at all costs, Mauri instead shows you how to embrace change with a future-forward mindset, urging leaders to explore disruption’s distinct advantages and how to transform it into a tailwind for laser-like focus and strategic courage.

As you read the book, you’ll learn:

How to unlock cultures of courage over conformity.
Why good leaders learn, but great leaders unlearn.
How to strengthen the future readiness muscle.
How to use actionable strategies that help harness the upside of disruption.

Terence Mauri

Today, Mauri shares these additional insights with us:

Question: What do you find is the hardest part of embracing disruption?

Mauri: One of the hardest parts of embracing personal or organizational disruption is to reframe our mindset that disruption is harmful and to avoid it at all costs. Disruption is a source code for courage over conformity and humility over hubris.

Disruption and its closest cousin, Courage, offer two choices:

Learning and growth when disruption is intentionally embraced as a tailwind for renewal, or
Statis and decline when disruption is avoided, or worse, is ignored in the hope it will disappear (it rarely does).

Question: How should leaders approach disruption and future thinking for the best results?

Mauri: Leaders should approach disruption and future thinking with courage skills (proactive, pro-learning, pro-growth, and pro-resilient) to achieve the best results.

Here are some strategies to consider:

building a future-ready workforce through talent marketplaces and becoming a skills-based organization.
strategic foresight on what’s new and next.
humility-led leadership to identify blind spots that leaders are blind to.
asking the questions that aren’t being asked.
testing what if scenarios against foreseen and unforeseen hypotheticals.

Question: What actionable steps can leaders take today to sharpen their organization’s future readiness?

Mauri: Future readiness is a muscle strengthened or weakened daily through our mindsets, choices, and voices.

To unlock disruption's huge and hidden upside, we must sharpen at least three readiness themes:

Lead at the speed of AI, which means choosing dare to explore over wait and see.
Unlearn the traditional, always-done ways - the ultimate form of agility amid today’s overload and complexity.
Not taking a risk is a risk because we always overestimate the risk of doing something new and underestimate the risk of standing still.

Question: Why do you believe many people overestimate the risks of bold decisions and underestimate their potential upside?

Mauri: In life and business, we always overestimate the risk of doing something new because of fear of the unknown, failure, inertia, or even hubris, and we always overestimate the risk of standing still. Even for everything to stay the same, we must embrace a mindset of perpetual learning for today while reimagining for tomorrow or risk obsolescence.

Question: What is the downside of avoiding risks, and how can standing still be the greatest risk of all?

Mauri: The downside of avoiding risks is missing the hidden upside of learning, growth, and action. Not taking a risk is a risk in a world of accelerating and multiplying change, and standing still is a losing strategy when the only certainty is uncertainty.

Question: How can leaders shape cultures of courage within their organizations?

Mauri: Cultures of courage embrace ideas that challenge the status quo and are a source code for daring humility and future readiness. The bad news is that two-thirds of organizations today don’t have cultures of courage. They have cultures of conformity that reject ideas that challenge the status quo.

The best way to get started is to model and reward the curiosity to learn (the gap between what we know and want to know) and the courage to unlearn (eliminate outdated ways of working).

Question: What new mindset shifts do leaders need to prepare their organizations for the future?

Mauri: The future isn’t just about tech or trends. It’s about mindsets and choices, too. I call it Return on Intelligence (ROI)—a new human metric for a post-AI world. To shape the future deliberately and sustainably, leaders must evolve from mindsets of ‘wait and see’ to dare to explore, from preservers of the status quo to challengers, and from infrequent evaluators to continuous coaches.

Question: How do you think leadership styles will change in the face of AI?

Mauri: Leadership styles are likely to evolve significantly in the face of AI, with several fundamental changes emerging, such as AI as a co-leader and a greater focus on human-AI collaboration. Trust, belonging, and connection will take center stage as a global epidemic of loneliness, automation anxiety, and burnout or even bore-out (cognitive underload) reach record levels.

Question: Why are leaders increasingly resistant to change when facing emerging technologies like AI?

Mauri: Change used to happen as a breeze. Now, it feels like a category-five typhoon. Leaders resist change for several reasons, including automation anxiety (Will AI displace me?), change fatigue (Not another change!), and fear of the unknown (What happens in a post-AI world?). Some leaders are also cynical about another shiny new thing syndrome. Remember the Metaverse?

Question: How do you see AI evolving in the next five years, and what implications will this have for businesses?

Mauri: Over the next five years, AI will evolve in several ways, and the changes will be particularly profound in energy, manufacturing, and medicine. For example, the drug discovery and trial pipelines will be supercharged as simulations incorporate the immensely richer data that AI makes possible.

Throughout history until 2022, science has determined the shapes of around 190,000 proteins. That year, DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 discovered over 200m, which have been released free of charge to researchers to help develop new treatments. By the time children are born today in kindergarten, artificial intelligence (AI) will probably have surpassed humans at all cognitive tasks, from science to creativity.

Question: What distinguishes good leaders from great leaders?

Mauri: Great leaders show the curiosity to learn and the courage to unlearn the always-done ways that have gone off, like yogurt in the fridge. They also show the clarity to focus when attention is the new oil, the conviction to decide, and the trust and community to co-create the future when the only constant is change. Leaders must help prepare everyone to embrace a Forever Beta world of learning for today while reimagining for tomorrow.

___

Mauri is a world-leading expert on the future of leadership, AI, and disruption. As the founder of the future trends think tank Hack Future Lab and a highly acclaimed author, Mauri is the mind behind the movement for leaders to find the upside of disruption and rethink leadership for a post-AI world.

Mauri’s actionable insights and myth-busting thinking have been featured in The Economist, Forbes, Inc. BBC, Reuters, Business Insider, and The Drucker Forum.

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.

Comments

How To Maximize Your Chances Of Landing The CEO Role

In the new book, CEO Ready , authors Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot. Specifically, they detail the seven key stakeholders who weigh in on whether to choose you as CEO. “Collectively, we have coached more than 200 executives who have been selected by their board members to become CEOs,” share the authors. “We can help you prepare to be a great CEO either in your current organization or elsewhere. We will share tools you can use to get objective feedback from all stakeholders, so you have complete visibility into what you’re up against.” As you seek the CEO role, the authors explain that leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process that one often imagines. They add that decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, a...

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

How To Be More Impactful Through Entrepreneurial Giving

This Thanksgiving as you think about what you are grateful for, think, too, about how you can be more giving. To help you discover a more giving you, read the new book, A Talent For Giving , by John Studzinski . It introduces the meaning of entrepreneurial giving - a hands-on approach to philanthropy that harnesses skills, expertise, and resources. Through thought-provoking insights, A Talent for Giving offers a powerful new roadmap for impact as Studzinski shows how anyone, regardless of financial means, can become a force for change. You do that by maximizing your Talent , Time , and Treasure and by embracing these values alongside others like Trust , Technology , and Trial , according to Studzinski. “Giving is any act of kindness or generosity that recognizes and respects the dignity of another human being,” shares Studzinski. “It can be something very simple – a smile, or a hug or a few words. And on a larger scale, it’s giving your time,...

7 Honest-Feedback-Extracting-Questions To Ask When Hiring

Awhile ago, the Harvard Business Review published some great questions that Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan asks when he is checking references. Ryan serves on the board of Yale Corporation, Human Rights Watch, and INSEAD , and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and a M.B.A from INSEAD. His main seven honest-feedback-extracting-questions (and follow-ups) are: Would you hire this person again? If so, why and in what capacity? If not, why not? How would you describe the candidate's ability to innovate, manage, lead, deal with ambiguity, get things done and influence others? What were some of the best things this person accomplished? What could he or she have done better? In what type of culture, environment, and role can you see this person excelling? In what type of role is he or she unlikely to be successful? Would you describe the candidate as a leader, a ...

My Favorite Leadership Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership Book

Here are some of my favorites quotes from John C. Maxwell 's book, The 5 Levels of Leadership that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catalyst for bringing out the best in the team. Progress comes only from taki...

A Roadmap For Next Generation Of Leaders Driving Culture-First Change

The transformative success of everything today’s leaders are driving – including AI (Artificial Intelligence) – will be determined not by whether they are “good” or “bad,” but by whether their organization’s culture embraces them. Decades of failed efforts prove that successful change can’t be mandated. That’s what Phil Gilbert believes and professes. “Change is a product, not a mandate,” says Gilbert. “Transform your initiative into a desirable offering that teams choose to adopt rather than an edict they’re forced to follow. Your organization is the market, and every project team is a potential customer who must be convinced that your approach will solve their problems better than the status quo. This product-centered mindset creates voluntary adoption that spreads organically.” This proven approach to making transformations is something people run toward, not away from. You’ll learn how this happens in Gilbert’s new book, Irresistible Change: A Bluep...

How To Achieve Bigger Goals By Changing The Odds

Dive in for a fascinating read as you discover the life-changing power of probabilistic thinking, taught by Kyle Austin Young in his new book, Success Is A Numbers Game . “Every goal that you’re pursuing has two hidden numbers attached to it—a probability of success and a probability of failure,” explains Young, “If you can make the first number bigger and the second number smaller, you can rewrite your predicted outcome.” “Whether you’re trying to start a business, run a marathon, get a promotion, earn a pilot’s license, grow a bumper crop of tomatoes, or sign an acting deal, these two percentages are always lurking in the shadows predicting what is going to happen.” But, adds Young, "Most of us never think about them. We assume our odds are unknowable and unchangeable. This dangerous lie leads millions of people to fail at goals where they were perfectly capable of succeeding. You can choose a smarter path,” encourages Young. In Success is a Numbers Game ...

How To Master The Cycles Of Leadership: The Four Seasons

Whether you’re an aspiring leader, a newly appointed CEO, or a board member wanting to better steward your company’s performance, A CEO For All Seasons: Mastering The Cycles Of Leadership is the hands-on playbook you need – packed with practical, proven tips to help you navigate the four distinct phases of leadership. “The journey of a CEO has a beginning, middle, and end, and the challenges leaders face early on are often far different than those midway through and near retirement, explain the authors of the book – Carolyn Dewar , Scott Keller , Vikram Malhotra, and Kurt Strovink . “For us, the most apt analogy to describe these cycles is the four seasons of the year,” they add. Spring : Stepping up - Preparing for the role. Summer : Transitioning into the role. Starting strong. Leading with impact. Fall : Navigating the middle years. Staying ahead. Sustaining momentum. Enhancing your learning. Future-proofing the organization. Winter : Transitioning out of the rol...

How To Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential

As a leader, do you find yourself frustrated, wondering why employees don't meet expectations, peers are slow to act, or pressure from your boss falls unfairly on your shoulders? It's easy to point a finger at others and double down on getting results. But have you ever considered that the problem might not be them—that it might be you? “Your mindset may be the only thing standing between you and your potential. It’s time to break free from the beliefs that hold you back,” says Muriel M. Wilkins , author of the new book, Leadership Unblocked: Break Through The Beliefs That Limit Your Potential . Through countless hours coaching executives over the past twenty years, Wilkins has pinpointed the biggest reason behind these common leadership challenges: hidden blockers . These unconscious beliefs can actively stall progress if leaders aren't aware of their existence, preventing them from seeing a situation clearly, solving problems effectively, and advancing their caree...

How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose

“It’s time to get intentional about organizational culture and to make it strong on purpose,” explain James D. White and Krista White , authors of the new book Culture Design: How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose . “Strong company cultures, deliberately shaped, are the difference between businesses that are great versus those that are just good enough,” they add. The authors define organizational culture as a set of actions, habits, rituals, and beliefs that determine how work gets done, how decisions get made, and how people experience their workplaces. "Strong cultures don't emerge by accident," share the authors. "They're built—with clarity, consistency, and design. This book is your guide to intentionally designing a culture that is resilient, inclusive, powerful, and effective." Informed by over thirty years of operating experience across sectors and in the boardroom, the authors offer these strategies for desig...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog