Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers

We're entering the Age of Intelligence, where the convergence of human, artificial, and networked intelligence is reshaping everything from work to human identity. This episode explores nine interconnected "super shifts" that are fundamentally transforming our world and introduces how the upcoming Transform Model will help navigate this new era.• The Age of Intelligence marks a shift from scarce, centralized intelligence to abundant, decentralized, and accelerating intelligence• Nine super shifts are driving transformation: Generational Drift, Intellifusion, Techceleration, Reality Remix, Power Flow, Eco-Awakening, Social Quake, World Mosaic, and Bionexus• These shifts are not isolated trends but interconnected forces reinforcing each other in unpredictable ways• Traditional strategy approaches are failing because they weren't designed for this level of systemic change• The Transform Model (coming next episode) provides a structured approach to making sense of complexity• Challenge yourself to identify which super shift you're already seeing play out in your industry or communityLook around at the changes happening in your industry, your community and your world. What's one super shift you're already seeing play out? Because the future isn't something that happens to us, it's something we design.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

We've reached a milestone in our Foundations in Foresight series, making this the perfect time to reflect on how our thinking about the future has evolved and what to do with all we've learned.• Reflecting on the shift from seeing the future as overwhelming or distant to actively making sense of change• Building futures thinking into daily practice through better questions and tracking signals of change• Teaching futures concepts to others helps internalize and deepen understanding• Upcoming episodes will explore major forces shaping the future and advanced foresight methods• The future isn't something that happens to us—it's something we're actively shaping through today's decisionsPick one futures thinking habit to commit to practicing consistently, whether keeping a signals journal, questioning assumptions more often, or simply staying curious about what's possible.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

We explore why thinking of the future as a single destination is a dangerous habit and how to break it. Understanding multiple possible futures is essential for making better decisions and navigating uncertainty in business, careers, and life.• The future isn't a fixed point but a spectrum of possibilities• Four categories to understand: possible, plausible, probable, and preferable futures• No one can predict the future with certainty, but we can prepare for multiple outcomes• The "probable" future is constantly changing as industries shift and technologies evolve• Many breakthroughs started as preferable futures that seemed unrealistic at the time• Challenge your assumptions by asking "what if?" about dominant trends and technologies• Practice imagining multiple scenarios for the same trend (optimistic, challenging, unexpected)• Forward-thinking people and organizations prepare for multiple futures, not just oneTry this exercise: Pick one trend affecting your life or work. Instead of assuming you know where it's heading, imagine three different ways it could unfold – one optimistic, one challenging, and one completely unexpected.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Understanding the five major forces driving change—technology, economics, demographics, environment, and politics—helps us anticipate shifts before they become obvious to everyone else. Steve Fisher explains how to move from reactive to proactive thinking by examining what's beneath surface-level trends.• Technology changes everything but its impact depends on how people use it, not just what it can do• Economic drivers like cost reduction explain why innovations like renewable energy suddenly gain traction• Demographic shifts including aging populations and generational values reshape societies over decades• Environmental challenges are becoming economic and social disruptors across industries• Political decisions and regulations can accelerate or impede changes in surprising ways• "Trend layering" helps understand how multiple forces interact to shape complex developments• "Backcasting" involves working backward from future scenarios to identify change paths• Tracking early signals helps spot emerging forces before they become mainstreamYour challenge this week: Pick a current trend and analyze what's truly driving it—economics, demographics, technology, or something else entirely? Once you understand the underlying forces, the future becomes less unpredictable.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Steve Fisher explores how cognitive biases affect our ability to think about and prepare for the future, showing why our brains take mental shortcuts that feel like common sense but often lead us astray.• Confirmation bias leads us to seek information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence• Status quo bias makes us assume things will continue as they are today, despite history showing constant change• Recency bias causes us to overvalue recent events as predictors of the future• Groupthink pressures us to conform to consensus views rather than challenging them• Historical examples like Kodak, Blockbuster, and the 19th century "horse manure crisis" demonstrate how bias blinds us to coming disruptions• Strategies to combat bias include actively seeking opposing viewpoints, using premortem thinking, practicing "future flip" scenarios, and surrounding yourself with diverse perspectivesOver the next week, pick a future scenario you strongly believe in, then actively look for evidence that suggests it won't happen. Read something, watch something, or talk to someone who sees the world differently.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Empathy emerges as a critical but often overlooked skill in futures thinking that allows us to see beyond our own perspectives and imagine how different people will experience tomorrow's world. This strategic advantage helps us anticipate change more effectively, design more inclusive solutions, and avoid the blind spots that come from viewing the future through a single lens.• Different backgrounds create different visions of the future—urban dwellers might focus on smart cities while rural residents prioritize community resilience• Technology adoption varies dramatically across different groups, with some embracing change while others feel overwhelmed• The most successful innovations don't just push technology forward but bring people along with it• Persona-based futures exploration helps identify how different generations, professions, and backgrounds might experience change• Seeking diverse perspectives through reading, conversations, and travel expands our futures thinking capacity• Historical examples like mobile phone adoption in developing countries show how empathy gaps lead to missed opportunities• Social media platforms demonstrate how failing to anticipate different use cases created unexpected problems• Empathy transforms futures thinking from a theoretical exercise to a practical tool for building better tomorrowsJoin us next time as we explore why challenging your own biases and assumptions is one of the hardest and most important things you can do to think more clearly about the future.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Metaphors do more than describe reality—they actively shape our thinking and decision-making, especially when we contemplate the future. The words and images we use to discuss technological progress, business disruption, and time management fundamentally influence how we prepare for tomorrow and the actions we take today.• Humans think in images and metaphors rather than numbers or words• Common time metaphors like "time is money" shape our behavior and stress levels• Describing technology development as a "race" emphasizes competition over collaboration• "Metaphor flipping" helps break limiting thought patterns by intentionally changing frameworks• Viewing AI as a "symphony" rather than an "arms race" transforms our approach to its development• The stories and metaphors we use about the future influence the decisions that create that futureListen for metaphors in your daily conversations and media consumption this week. When you hear one, ask yourself: Is this metaphor expanding or limiting our thinking about what's possible? If it's limiting, try flipping it to see what new ideas emerge. Next episode, we'll explore how empathy functions as a crucial skill for imagining better futures.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

We explore the unpredictable, high-impact events known as Black Swans and Wild Cards that transform industries and everyday life overnight. Through examining historical examples and successful adaptation strategies, we uncover how to build resilience for unexpected disruptions even when we can't predict their exact timing or form.• Black Swans: unexpected events with massive impact that only seem obvious in hindsight (9/11, 2008 financial crisis)• Wild Cards: low-probability but high-impact events that can sometimes be anticipated (quantum computing breaking encryption)• Organizations that survive disruption are those with flexibility and adaptive capabilities• Companies that pivoted quickly during COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of resilience• Building flexibility into strategy creates options when disruption hits• Scenario planning allows exploration of "what-if" possibilities before they occur • Paying attention to weak signals provides early warnings of potential disruptions• Embracing anti-fragility means creating systems that improve through exposure to volatilityThink about your work or industry: what Black Swan event could completely change the game, and how would you respond? Start building this thinking into your planning now to position yourself better when the next big shock arrives.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Curiosity powers futures thinking by enabling us to see possibilities and spot disruptions before they happen, making it an essential skill rather than just an inherent personality trait. • Curiosity naturally diminishes as we age, leading to dangerous assumptions about permanence in a rapidly changing world• The question "What if?" unlocks new futures and drives transformation – from the internet to electric vehicles to AI• Most people avoid curiosity because it requires comfort with uncertainty rather than clear answers• Curiosity is a trainable skill accessible to everyone through deliberate practice• Question default assumptions about how your industry, products or processes work to spark breakthroughs• Pay attention to "weird" fringe ideas – today's niche experiments often become tomorrow's mainstream realities• Practice sitting with uncertainty instead of rushing to conclusions to see possibilities others miss• Challenge yourself today to ask a big "what if" question about something fundamental to your work or industryJoin us next time when we'll explore black swans and wild cards – those unpredictable high-impact events that change everything overnight.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Weak signals are early indicators of change that can help us predict future trends before they become mainstream, offering competitive advantages to those who learn to spot them effectively.• Weak signals are small emerging shifts that haven't hit mainstream yet but could become significant trends• Examples include Airbnb (from couch-surfing to reshaping travel) and TikTok (from lip-syncing videos to transforming entire industries)• Best places to find weak signals: niche communities, academic research, patents, underground culture, and young generation behaviors• Evaluate signals by asking: Is it growing? Does it connect to other changes? What happens if it scales?• Keep a weak signals journal to track unusual patterns and potential trends over time• Spotting weak signals helps businesses identify new opportunities and prepare for disruptions before competitorsChallenge: Find one weak signal over the next week - a new behavior, technology, or cultural shift that isn't making headlines yet. Track it and consider what might happen if it scales.ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts 🎧 Listen Now On: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/ Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.