Chapter 9. Trendspotting

IN THESE TIMES OF HIGH-VELOCITY CHANGE, LEADERS have to be able to see into the future to avoid miscalculations. Just like high-speed drivers, today’s leaders must use a “high-beam” strategy to maximize their performance. The metaphor of a car with its high beams on signifies the dynamics that occur when a leader has an accurate view of the future: like the far-ahead view provided by high beams, a clear picture of where things are going over the next five to ten years in an organization gives a leader the ability to ensure that good decisions are made in areas such as new product development, infrastructure improvements, and staffing.

Feel intimidated? Well, if you think things are going to slow down and “return to normal,” you are wrong. If you secretly hope that we will get back to a low-velocity world, you should put this book down because you’ll be wasting time reading it. You need to look at the positive side of high velocity. I truthfully would be mortified if the velocity slowed because I like the pace fast—but then again I get bored easily. I also find that it delivers increased opportunities, and what fun would leadership be without an abundance of opportunities? Leaders, by definition, are supposed to be out in front of those that follow them. We are supposed to be the first ones on the trail, the ones chasing the best opportunities. That means we have to be able to look farther down the road than anyone else and understand how to take our teams along with us.

There have always been pioneers who were willing to bet on their vision of the future. The issue today is that the pace of the game has sped up so fast every businessperson needs to predict the future and recognize significant trends just to survive. Attempting to follow others or stick with the status quo is a fool’s errand. Travel agents, the postal service, telecoms, TV networks, newspapers, radio stations, video stores, and book publishers—all of these businesses are struggling because they failed to plan for the future. The business leaders who are succeeding are the ones who have mastered the art of trendspotting.