This episode of Imagine What’s Next features Michael Kanazawa, EY Global Innovation Realized Leader, and EY Americas Consulting Growth Strategy Leader who also leads the EY wavespace innovation labs. It can be a challenge for leaders to pause the urgency of what is happening right now in favor of speculating about and planning for the possibilities of the future. But when disruption is staring businesses down, there is no other option than to make space for the far-reaching concepts regarding innovation and future-planning that are fast approaching.

Together with Daniel Forrester, Michael highlights the power of keeping short-termism in balance with long-term goals. He considers ways that leaders are limiting imagination, creativity, and human ingenuity in their team and the needed conversations that encourage inspiration for the brilliant minds that are walking through the halls of an incumbent organization. They discuss the power of future-back thinking, which demands a look at the micro disruptors that have the potential to transform the future of innovation and consider the value of looking to our thousand-year history for effective strategies that will enable humans to better face our future.

Key Takeaways:

[1:31] Michael’s interest in innovation stemmed from his childhood desire to create something out of nothing.

[5:05] Future back strategies focus on transformation in the face of technology disruption.

[9:02] A look inside what happens to C-suite leaders when they are given the opportunity to peer into the future.

[13:30] Michael’s 70-20-10 recommendation for the time allotted to future thinking versus focusing on the now.

[19:20] Keeping short-termism in balance with the long-term goals of an entrepreneurial mindset.

[25:30] The challenges of evoking inspiration in people while balancing a short-term execution of business demands.

[30:48] Michael’s advice for leaders who are committed to transformation beyond the valley of despair.

[36:50] Navigating a moonshot project starts with understanding the greater long-term objectives.

[44:43] The value of looking to our thousand-year history for insights when preparing for the future.

Daniel Forrester

Podfly Productions

Continue the Journey:

Michael Kanazawa

Daniel Forrester’s new edX Course — Generating Vision: Long-Term Big Ideas That Motivate Employees and Stakeholders