“Leadership is experiencing future today” is not just a poetic line—it’s a strategic reality. Great leadership is about anticipation, imagination, and action in the present to create the future. Here’s a full strategic breakdown of why and how:
WHY “LEADERSHIP IS EXPERIENCING FUTURE TODAY”?
- Anticipatory Leadership:
Leaders sense the signals of change early. They don’t react to trends—they shape them. Leaders experience the future because they act today on what most will act on tomorrow. - Vision as Present Action:
Vision is often seen as a future goal. But visionary leaders pull the future into the now—through immediate decisions, experiments, and direction. This collapses the “future gap.” - The Future of Future is Today:
What we call the “future” is already embedded in today’s decisions, culture, and innovations. The strategic implication: if leaders don’t design the future, they’ll be disrupted by it.
IS LEADERSHIP AN IMAGINATION AS VISION?
Yes—but it’s applied imagination. Leadership imagination:
- Visualizes better outcomes.
- Anticipates obstacles and enablers.
- Creates mental models of how things could be.
- Inspires others to co-create that vision.
Steve Jobs imagined a world where people had “computers in their pockets”—vision + strategy + execution made it real.
CRITICAL FACTORS TO DESIGN FUTURE CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES
| Factor | Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Foresight Thinking | Detect early warning signals, trends, weak signals |
| Scenario Planning | Imagine multiple futures to stay adaptive |
| Systems Thinking | Understand complexity, interdependence of parts |
| Risk Tolerance | Make bold bets before certainty |
| Innovation Culture | Encourage experimentation, curiosity |
| Agility + Resilience | Rapid pivoting with long-term clarity |
| Empathy + Purpose | See through the lens of human needs |
DIVERSITY OF FRAMEWORKS TO SUPPORT THIS
1. Vision to Mission to Execution Matrix
| Component | Focus |
|---|---|
| Vision | Imagined future (Big Picture) |
| Mission | Purposeful direction (Why) |
| Strategic Goals | Measurable results |
| Actions | Tasks, experiments, decisions |
Vision becomes reality through structured commitment.
2. Problem Solving via McKinsey’s 7-Step Model
- Define the problem (Identify Future Risk/Gap)
- Structure the problem (Framework: 5W1H, Mind Maps)
- Prioritize using 80/20 Rule
- Create hypotheses about future trends
- Test hypotheses (Scenarios, Prototypes)
- Synthesize findings (Visual Maps, SWOT)
- Communicate for alignment (Storytelling + Data)
3. SWOT + TOWS + PESTLE for Strategic Opportunity Mapping
- Use PESTLE to identify future external challenges (e.g., tech shifts, policies)
- Apply SWOT to assess internal readiness
- Convert threats to opportunities with TOWS Strategy
4. The VUCA to VOPA Framework
| VUCA (Challenge) | VOPA (Leadership Response) |
|---|---|
| Volatility | Vision |
| Uncertainty | Understanding |
| Complexity | Clarity |
| Ambiguity | Agility |
5. OKR (Objectives & Key Results) for Future-Driven Focus
- Vision-led leaders define stretch goals (Moonshots).
- Translate into Key Results—what success looks like quarterly.
- Constantly review and reset based on future trends.
6. Design Thinking (Future-Centric Innovation)
| Stage | Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Empathize | Know future users deeply |
| Define | Frame future problems |
| Ideate | Imagine radical solutions |
| Prototype | Build today for tomorrow |
| Test | Get feedback now, iterate fast |
ANALYTICAL TOOLS TO SUPPORT STRATEGIC FUTURE FOCUS
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Scenario Matrix | Map out alternative futures |
| Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys) | Understand the deep “why” behind problems |
| Impact vs Feasibility Matrix | Prioritize innovation pipelines |
| Trend Radar | Track tech, social, and policy shifts |
| Backcasting | Start from future success → work backward to today |
STRATEGIC FOCUS: FROM VISION TO FUTURE-READY ORGANIZATION
Cycle of Future-Driven Leadership:
- Imagine → 2. Design → 3. Communicate → 4. Prototype → 5. Scale → 6. Adapt
(Repeat)
This creates a Leadership Flywheel that:
- Spots tomorrow’s problems as today’s possibility
- Converts disruption into innovation
- Builds resilient, purpose-driven ecosystems
CONCLUSION: FUTURE IS A STRATEGIC RESPONSIBILITY
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
Leadership is not just about reacting—it is about forecasting, formulating, and facilitating a better tomorrow, today. It’s not a luxury—it’s a strategic necessity.
Anupam Sharma
Psychotech Evangelist
Coach I Mentor I Trainer
Counselor I Consultant