- When I talk about being a manager of the future,

I actually mean two completely different things:

First, as a manager in the future,

you're going to need to be continually adaptive

even more than you are today.

And second, being a manager of the future,

that is being someone who helps to manage the future

before it even happens,

is a completely different mindset.

So let's talk first about being a manager in the future,

in 5, 10, 15 years.

It's not likely that the pace of change is going to slow down.

Advances in technology, medicine, nanotechnology,

these are only going to speed up

and affect our work even more dramatically.

Of course, if you're watching this in the year 2025

and life has gotten boring

because innovation suddenly slowed to a crawl,

you can disagree with me.

But no matter what specific technologies and practices

we're following in the future,

right now, the rapid pace of change looks inevitable.

You're also going to see continuous change

in management practices,

in the relationship between the worker and the hirer,

and in the very nature of the organization itself.

So what will it be like to be a manager in the future?

First, you're going to need to be comfortable

with the increasing role of technology.

The more you think of yourself as a digital native,

being comfortable with the role of technology in your work

and in those who work for you,

the better prepared you're going to be

for the impact that automation is going to inevitably have,

and you can use that to your advantage.

Next, you're going to need to be as flexible

in your thinking as a manager as possible.

In the future, you'll have an increasing number of options

for how work is going to get done

including part-time workers, full-time workers, gig workers,

workers in the cloud

and tasks that are automated by software and robots.

Some people are going to be working with you side by side.

Some you may never actually meet.

Coordinating all of that activity

will require maximum flexibility

and adaptability on your part.

And finally, you're going to need to be highly sensitive

to the trends that may impact your work.

Buggy whip manufacturers

may not have seen the coming impact of the automobile,

but you can be on the lookout for the dramatic change

that could affect your industry, your work group,

and your own work even if it comes out of left field.

Now, let's talk about being a manager of the future

or being a person who helps to manage the future

before it happens.

What that means is taking the responsibility

to help prepare others for that uncertain future.

You can work with your team members

to help them to get ready for a constant world of change.

To start, you'll need to help your team members

to be as self-aware as possible.

The better they know the skills and knowledges

that they love to use,

the more they'll know the kinds of problems

that they're best at solving.

Next, you need to continually encourage them

to be lifelong learners.

Work with them on an ongoing basis to identify the things

that they're excited to know more about

and to proactively gather that knowledge and experience.

And last, provide opportunities for them

to collaborate independently.

The more you help them to rapidly team with others

to solve problems and to do that autonomously,

the better prepared they'll be to overcome new challenges.

Now, by taking responsibility

to help develop those who work with you,

you're going to be contributing to the future workforce,

not just at your organization

but wherever your team members or you will be in the future.

At the same time, you're also going to be helping yourself

because you'll be demonstrating your ability

to help a others to navigate disruptive change.

You'll show that you can continue to motivate

and empower your teams to achieve tremendous results

even when uncertainty reigns.

And you'll be ready to deal with exponential change

and to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow.

(upbeat music)