Skip to main content

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By challenging the outdated belief that risk and volatility are to be avoided at all costs, Mauri instead shows you how to embrace change with a future-forward mindset, urging leaders to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: 

  1. Learning and growth when disruption is intentionally embraced as a tailwind for renewal, or 
  2. 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.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

6 Ways To Seek Feedback To Improve Your Performance In The Workplace

Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear.  “Feedback is all around you. Your job is to find it, both through asking directly and observing it,” says David L. Van Rooy, author of the new book,  Trajectory: 7 Career Strategies to Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be . As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these  six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work . Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy 1.       Don’t forget to as k :  One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you’re missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve. 2.       Make sure you listen :  Remember, getting feedback is about improving your performance, not turning it into a “you versus the
18 comments
Read more

Sample Of Solid Business Guiding Principles

I really like these  10 guiding business principles  that San Antonio, TX headquartered insurance company  USAA has lived by: Exceed customer expectations Live the Golden Rule (treat others with courtesy and respect) Be a leader Participate and contribute Pursue excellence Work as a team Share knowledge Keep it simple (make it easy for customers to do business with us and for us to work together) Listen and communicate Have fun Too many companies don't make it simple for their customers to do business with them. Is it easy for your customers to: Buy from you? Make returns? Get pricing and terms? Receive timely responses to their e-mails? Quickly get answers when phoning your company? You can find more examples of companies with impressive guiding principles in the book,  1001 Ways To Energize Employee s .
Post a Comment
Read more

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability .  They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences
10 comments
Read more

The Benefits Of When Everyone Leads

It’s only January and the new book, When Everyone Leads , could likely be my pick for the best new leadership book of 2023. It’s that good. There’s still nearly a whole year ahead of us so we’ll see what other books debut. In the meantime, add this book to your must-read list.   You’ll learn that: Leadership is an activity, not a position. Leadership is mobilizing others to make progress on the most important challenges. Leadership is interactive, risky and experimental. Leadership comes in moments. Leadership is always about change.   When Everyone Leads , by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride , presents a revolutionary approach to leadership; not based on position or authority, but an activity that anybody can undertake by learning to spot opportunities for improvement and taking the initiative to engage others.   “It can be unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but in a culture where everyone leads, organizations start to make progress on their most difficult problems,” explain t
1 comment
Read more

Good Sample Business Principles

I really like these 10 guiding business principles that San Antonio, TX headquartered insurance company  USAA  lives by: Exceed customer expectations Live the Golden Rule (treat others with courtesy and respect) Be a leader Participate and contribute Pursue excellence Work as a team Share knowledge Keep it simple (make it easy for customers to do business with us and for us to work together) Listen and communicate Have fun Too many companies don't make it simple for their customers to do business with them.  Is it easy for your customers to: Buy from you? Make returns? Get pricing and terms? Receive timely responses to their e-mails? Quickly get answers when phoning your company? You can find more examples of companies with impressive guiding principles in the book, 1001 Ways To Energize Employees .
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Tips For Generating Ideas From Employees

Your employees have lots of ideas.  So, be sure you provide the forums and mechanisms for your employees to share their ideas with you.  Hold at least a few brainstorming sessions each year, as well. And, when you are brainstorming with your employees, try these five tips: Encourage ALL ideas.  Don't evaluate or criticize ideas when they are first suggested. Ask for wild ideas.  Often, the craziest ideas end up being the most useful. Shoot for quantity not quality during brainstorming. Encourage everyone to offer new combinations and improvements of old ideas.
Post a Comment
Read more

Knowing When To Say "Thank You" To Your Customers

In your leadership role, it's vital that your team members know how to deliver excellent customer service. " Knock Your Socks Off " type service as book editor Ann Thomas and Jill Applegate would say. Part of delivering excellent customer service is saying "Thank You" to your customers and knowing when to say "Thank You". Thomas and Applegate recommend telling your customers "Thank You" during at least these nine situations : When they do business with you...every time. When they compliment you (or your company) When they offer you comments or suggestions When they try one of your new products or services When they recommend you to a friend When they are patient...and even when they are not so patient When they help you to serve them better When they complain to you When they make you smile You and your team members can say "Thank You" : Verbally In writing (and don't underestimate the power of persona
Post a Comment
Read more

Top Five Factors That Drive Employee Loyalty

A 2010 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management shows that job security is what matters most to employees. And, having that job security helps to keep employees loyal.  Okay, that's really not too surprising during these times of high unemployment. Next on the list is benefits . The unstable economy, coupled with rising health care costs, make employer offered benefits more important than ever. Third on the top five list is an employee's opportunity to use his/her skills . When employees feel good about their jobs and their abilities, and clearly know they are contributing to their organization they remain engaged and loyal.  In fourth place is an organization's financial stability . Compensation came in fifth on the top five list. Employee pay often is not the most important driver for employee retention.  Despite study after study that shows pay is not the top reason employees stay with a company, research results like these often surprise workplace
1 comment
Read more

Resolve To Find A Mentor In 2011

Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do to advance your career as a leader. So, decide today to secure a mentor who will work with you during 2011. Make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. A mentor can benefit leaders new to their leadership role and they can benefit experienced and seasoned leaders, as well. A strong mentoring relationship allows the mentor and the mentee to develop new skills and talents, to build confidence, and to build self-awareness. Proper mentoring takes a commitment from both parties and it takes time to develop and to reap the rewards of the relationship. Plan to work with your mentor for no less than three months, and ideally for six months or longer. When seeking out a mentor, think about these questions: 1.  Will the relationship have good personal chemistry? 2.  Can this person guide me, particularly in the areas where I am weakest? 3.  Will this person take a genuine interest in me? 4.  Does this person have the traits and s
Post a Comment
Read more

Use A Board Of Advisors

David Burkus often provides valuable comments to my various Blog postings, and he's a person who effectively uses a board of advisors, instead of mentors, to help him achieve success. "I've found that in my life, it was easier and more effective to set up a board of advisors," said Burkus, the editor of LeaderLab . "This is a group of people, three to five, that have rotated into my life at various times and that speak into it and help me grow. I benefit from the variety of experience these people have." LeaderLab is an online community of resources dedicated to promoting the practice of leadership theory. Its contributors include consultants and professors who present leadership theory in a practitioner-friendly format that provides easy-to-follow explanations on how to apply the best of leadership theory. Community users can download a variety of research reports and presentations about leadership and leadership versus management. For example, a pr
Post a Comment
Read more