HP Innovation Journal Issue 12: Summer 2019 | Page 43

FUTURE-PROOF
Predicting the future, though, is not enough. To me, a
successful futurist knows how to take action on what they
see is possible in the future, and in turn create the world
they want. If you think of some of the greatest inventors,
CEOs and scientists—the Wright Brothers, Thomas
Edison, Henry Ford, George Eastman, Bill Hewlett and
Dave Packard, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, etc.—they all share
one thing in common: they put visionary ideas into action,
and in so doing, have shaped their own futures.
Innovation is an attitude. As an innovator you need to
believe you can change the world, that if you keep working
on a problem you will eventually find a solution, and that
anything is possible. Innovators have a passion to make
things happen. They relentlessly take action.
In today’s world, you may feel like you don’t have control
over the future, but that isn’t the case. Everyone has the
power to create the future they want. It’s part of being
human. With strategic, long-term thinking, action, and an
open mind, you can improve lives and create new busi-
nesses, markets, industries, and experiences.
You can even start small. Think about a project you’ve been
working on that could use a fresh perspective, or a trend
you’ve been hearing about that you want to research, or
simply ask questions of yourself and others to ensure you
understand the desired outcome.
The time is now to tap into your inner futurist and disrupt
your business, before someone else does it for you.
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