Extraordinary Outcomes: Shaping an Otherwise Unpredictable Future

1Skills and Talent are not EnoughEngage the Head and the Heart

The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.

—Robert Frost

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

—Woody Allen

In an October 2008 briefing before Congress, a humbled Alan Greenspan, formerly chair of the Federal Reserve Board for almost 19 years, admitted that he had failed to anticipate the ongoing financial collapse, and was in “shocked disbelief” at the way events had unfolded.¹ The world is inherently uncertain, and his inability to foresee the future is only one of endless examples; there are many stories of people and organizations derailed by the emergence of the unexpected. Movie-rental industry leader Blockbuster Entertainment, for example, met its demise when it failed to anticipate the impact that the Internet would have on the way people watch movies. Each of us has our own stories of being blindsided and asking, “How did I not see that coming?”

Conventional ways of thinking and planning fall short in the face of uncertainty, making us vulnerable and ill equipped to respond to the unforeseen. To succeed and thrive in a changing environment, we need strategies that make us more resilient against a shifting future.

In this book we take uncertainty to task, showing that you can conquer it and shape the future to create extraordinary outcomes. You will find an innovative approach to thinking and planning, as well as strategies to navigate uncertainty—to eliminate it where possible, ...