The Future Leader

WINNER OF CMI MANAGEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021

Are you a future-ready leader? Based on exclusive interviews with over 140 of the world's top CEOs and a survey of nearly 14,000 people.

Do you have the right mindsets and skills to be able to lead effectively in the next ten years and beyond? Most individuals and organizations don’t even know what leadership will look like in the future. Until now.

There has been a lot written about leadership for the present day, but the world is changing quickly. What worked in the past won’t work in the future. We need to know how to prepare leaders who can successfully navigate and guide us through the next decade and beyond. How is leadership changing, and why? How ready are leaders today for these changes? What should leaders do now? To answer these questions, Jacob interviewed over 140 CEOs from companies like Unilever, Mastercard, Best Buy, Oracle, Verizon, Kaiser, KPMG, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Yum! Brands, Saint-Gobain, Dominos, Philip Morris International, and over a hundred others. Jacob also partnered with Linkedin to survey almost 14,000 of their members around the globe to see how CEO insights align with employee perspectives

The majority of the world's top business leaders that Jacob interviewed believe that while some core aspects of leadership will remain the same, such as creating a vision and executing on strategy, leaders of the future will need a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to succeed.

What emerged from all of this research is the most accurate groundbreaking book on the future of leadership, which shares exclusive insights from the world's top CEOs and never before seen research. After reading it, you will:

• Learn the greatest trends impacting the future of leadership and their implications
• Understand the top skills and mindsets that leaders of the future will need to possess and how to learn them
• Change your perception of who a leader is and what leadership means
• Tackle the greatest challenges that leaders of the future will face
• See the gap that exists between what CEOs identified versus what employees are actually experiencing
• Become a future-ready leader

This is the book that you, your team, and your organization must read in order to lead in the future of work.

Introduction 1

Part 1 Understanding the Role of the Leader 9

Chapter 1 The Leadership Gap 11

Leaders Today Are Struggling 12

It’s Time to Change 14

Chapter 2 Three Essential Leadership Questions 17

What is Leadership and Who is a Leader? 17

How CEOs Define Leadership 19

What Are Your Leadership Filters? 21

Define Leadership 24

Leader or Manager? 24

Is the Leader of 2030 Really That Different Than the Leader of Today? 26

Chapter 3 The Impact of a Leader 29

How Great and Bad Leaders Influence You and Your Organization 29

We Need More Great Leaders 33

Part 2 Trends and Challenges Shaping Future Leaders 35

Chapter 4 Artificial Intelligence and Technology 37

Are the Machines Going to Take Over? 39

Automating a Job is Not Replacing a Human 40

What Leaders Do 41

How AI Will Impact Leadership 42

Chapter 5 Pace of Change 45

Leading in a Future That Doesn’t Yet Exist 46

Chapter 6 Purpose and Meaning 49

Job, Purpose, Impact, Meaning 50

Creating Purpose and Meaning 53

Chapter 7 New Talent Landscape 57

The Massive Talent Shortage 57

The Need to Upskill and Retrain 59

The Diversity and Inclusion Imperative 61

Chapter 8 Morality, Ethics, and Transparency 65

Ethics versus Morals 66

The Impact of an Ethical Leader 67

Leaders Must Be Transparent 70

Chapter 9 Globalization 73

Diversity and Curiosity Are Key 74

Chapter 10 Are We Ready for These Trends? 77

We Need Less Talk and More Action 81

There’s an Organizational Breakdown 81

Employees Are More Confident in Themselves Than in Those Around Them 82

Chapter 11 Challenges 85

Futurize 86

Humanize 92

We Aren’t Ready for These Challenges 98

Enter the Notable Nine 100

Part 3 The Four Mindsets of the Notable Nine 103

Chapter 12 The Explorer 105

An Overview of the Explorer 106

We Need More Curiosity 112

Super Perpetual Learning 118

A Family of Super Perpetual Learners 123

Growth Mindset 126

Adaptability and Agility 128

How Leaders Can Develop The Mindset of the Explorer 130

Chapter 13 The Chef 135

We Need More HumanIT 136

Embracing Technology 139

Purpose-Driven and Caring 142

How Leaders Can Develop The Mindset of the Chef 145

Chapter 14 The Servant 151

Service to Your Leaders 152

Service to Your Team 153

Service to Your Customers 157

Service to Yourself 160

Humility and Vulnerability 162

How Leaders Can Develop The Mindset of the Servant 166

Chapter 15 The Global Citizen 169

The Benefits of a Global Citizen Mindset 170

How Leaders Can Develop The Mindset of the Global Citizen 173

Chapter 16 How Well Are We Practicing These Mindsets Today? 177

Mind the Gaps 180

The Seniority Curse 180

Around the World 182

Part 4 The Five Skills of the Notable Nine 187

Chapter 17 The Futurist 189

How a Futurist Thinks 192

How Leaders Can Develop The Skill of the Futurist 195

Chapter 18 Yoda 197

Emotional Intelligence (Empathy and Self-Awareness) 198

Other Components of Emotional Intelligence 202

How Leaders Can Develop The Skill of Yoda 206

Chapter 19 The Translator 209

Listening 211

Communication 213

How Leaders Can Develop The Skill of the Translator 215

Chapter 20 The Coach 221

Motivating, Inspiring, and Engaging People 224

Creating Future Leaders 229

Working Across Generations and Cultures 232

Creating Effective Teams 235

How Leaders Can Develop The Skill of the Coach 238

Chapter 21 The Technology Teenager 241

Understand How Technology Impacts Your Business 241

How Leaders Can Develop The Skill of the Technology Teenager 243

Chapter 22 How Well Are We Practicing These Skills Today? 245

Mind the Gaps – Again! 246

Around the World 248

Are We Future Leader Ready? 248

Part 5 Becoming the Future Leader 253

Chapter 23 Knowing vs Doing 255

Define “Leader” and “Leadership” 258

Look at Your Present State 261

Practice the Skills and Mindsets 261

Build Your Tribe 262

Avoid a Typical Day 263

Guide Others 264

References 267

Acknowledgments 279

About the Author 281

Additional Resources 283

Index 285

JACOB MORGAN is a bestselling author and one of the world's leading authorities on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. He's a highly sought-after keynote speaker and advisor who has worked with organizations such as Microsoft, Disney, PwC, PepsiCo, MasterCard, IBM, and many others. As a professionally trained futurist, his insights are frequently featured in publications such as Forbes, Inc., The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The Harvard Business Review. To learn more about Jacob, to get access to his content, or to work with him, visit TheFutureOrganization.com or email him directly: Jacob@thefutureorganization.com.

Will the leader of the next decade be that different than the leader of today? And if so, how? These were the two questions that Jacob sought out to explore in his groundbreaking new book The Future Leader.

To answer these questions, Jacob personally interviewed over 140 CEOs globally from companies like Unilever, Audi, Mastercard, Best Buy, Oracle, Verizon, and many others. Jacob also teamed up with LinkedIn to survey almost 14,000 members around the world. This allowed for an accurate, global picture of leadership as well as a shocking comparison across seniority levels.

Unlike other leadership books which focus on current trends, this valuable resource is backed by extensive, never-before-seen research, direct quotes, and insights from the world's top business leaders.

The result? A range of insights and advice leaders can use now to prepare for the coming decade and beyond, including the fact that leaders around the world believe they are far better prepared for the future than they really are.

What are the top trends shaping the future of leadership? What are the greatest challenges that leaders must be prepared to overcome? What skills and mindsets must leaders of the future possess to be successful? What steps should one take to become a future-ready leader? The Future Leader answers all of these questions and more.

Industries, markets, and businesses are changing more rapidly now than ever before. This means that over the next decade, our organizations will look fundamentally different than they do today. As a result, we need a new type of leader at the helm. Today's leaders must become tomorrow's leaders, and this book will show you how to do just that.

Success today doesn't guarantee success tomorrow. Only preparation can do that. Many leaders have already noticed the signs of the times. They understand the importance of preparing for disruption, but how do they do that? This book will ensure you're ready to guide your organization in an age of change. Are you ready to become The Future Leader?

PRAISE FOR THE FUTURE LEADER

"Tomorrow always comes. The best leaders make room to imagine it, fund it, and fight for it. Jacob Morgan shares important lessons to guide every leader toward the future. Definitely a book worth reading." —Beth Comstock, Author, Imagine It Forward and Former Vice Chair, GE

"Jacob's book answers the most pressing questions on the future of leadership. Based on impressive research, this is the guidebook for the next generation of leaders around the world." —Paul Polman, Co-founder and Chair, IMAGINE and Former CEO, Unilever

"The Future Leader is an immensely valuable guide on the future of leadership. Practical and well-researched, the book provides a deep dive into the most essential skills and mindsets for today's change-makers." —Nir Eyal, Bestselling Author of Hooked and Indistractable

"Today's–and tomorrow's–leaders must be comfortable with discomfort: they must be courageous enough to experiment, fail, and experiment again. Jacob's work is the guidebook to doing just that." —Ritch Allison, CEO, Domino's Pizza

"I applaud Jacob in assembling such a powerful and inclusive collection of voices for leaders around the world to learn from. Whether you're a current or future leader, this book is one that you should read and keep near you." —Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard

"The Future Leader inspires and teaches people to become better leaders. The skills and mindsets outlined in Jacob's new book are not just essential for work but also for life. If every leader read this book, the world would be a better place!" —Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

"Great leaders must learn from others. This book is a valuable resource to do just that. Backed by extensive research, stories, and examples, any current or future leader would be wise to read it!" —Bernard Tyson, CEO, Kaiser Permanente

"Transformation does not wait and Jacob addresses this head-on in his new book. The Future Leader lays important groundwork for current and future leaders. Definitely worth reading!" —Abraham Schot, CEO, Audi

"Jacob Morgan has managed a tour de force. This may be the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive thought piece on this critical topic out there." —Hubert Joly, CEO, Best Buy