The Business Roundtable and the World Economic Forum have stated their intention to evolve toward stakeholder capitalism. This globally synchronized intent to “build back better” creates a unique opportunity for the world. But companies will miss this generational opportunity if they operate according to the default (either sticking to the tried-and-tested or tinkering around the edges).
What does it take to design the future?
The first step is leaders’ intention
- Without leaders’ intent toward something greater than personal success, not much is possible, and a company is left to ride its luck, stumbling into a future that may or may not be kind to it.
- To move beyond purpose, companies must proactively design their future they want to work toward
- Design for individual gratification may well lead to negative externalities for all stakeholders ignored
Design for the next quarter (century)
Companies can try on multiple futures and see how they feel
- Each future design should be a fully rounded picture
- A plan for what the company is doing, how it’s operating
- How it works with communities and the planet, and how shareholders benefit
Future design requires a new kind of process
Find what’s needed
- Identify bigger, more enduring needs
- Exploring what’s possible
- Align action with intention
- Use the sprint methodology to arrive at new products or features
- Building a shared mission
- The past year has been incredibly challenging for so many, but the future’s not predetermined, it’s there to be shaped by leaders and companies willing to put forth a compelling design for the world
