Ten Lessons from the future

Wolfgang Greek: Ten Lessions from the Future.

CEO of Future World, The Global Bisiness and Technology Think Tank

Verwerk deur Frederick Marais

The worlds of Horus and Seth
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo houses a mind-numbing number of artefacts that shed light on the way people lived and worshipped in the Nile Delta some three to seven millennia ago. In one particularly dimly-lit corner of the museum, I found a little-known statue of a pharaoh being counselled by two deities.

On the left is Horus, the god of structure and predictability. On the right: Seth, the god of chaos and disorder. Even thousands of years ago, the conflict between order and chaos, and the dilemmas created for those in authority, were well recognised.

In a very real sense, today’s business executive is in the same position as that stone pharaoh. Everything we have been taught about business was crafted in the Industrial Age – in an economy where central authority, predictability and control were the touchstones.

We are the sons and daughters of Horus. But we are living in Seth’s world!

Take a look at this table…

Wolfgang Gruke: Ten Lessions from the Future. CEO of Future World, The Global Bisiness and Technology Think Tank

Industrial Age ‘Culture’ Information Age ‘Spirit’

         Learn a skill                                      Lifelong learning


            Security                                         Risk-taking

Job preservation Job creation

   Capital equipment                                 Intellectual capital


             Status quo                                  Speed and change

   Hierarchical and regulated        Distributed and networked


              Zero sum                                           Win-win

         Measure inputs                                  Measure outputs

The great excitement of the future is that we can shape it
Charles Hardy

Tomorrows successful leaders will value principles more than they value their companies
Steven Covey

The important thing is to try to…take control over your own destiny
Michael Porter

The traditional concept of management is reaching the end of the road

Michael Hammer

We’re talking about changes in basic assumption…few traditional organizations ever go through the eye of the needle
Peter Senge

The major challenge for leaders in the twenty-first century will be how to release the brainpower of their organizations
Warren Bennis

Do we have corporate cultures that are anchors on change? Or cultures that enable us to adapt to the changing environment?
John Kotter
Marketers will move from focusing on large segments to targeting specific niches. In niches there are riches.
Phillip Kotler

My one-word messages for the twenty-first century is “Asia”

John Naisbitt

The dominant competitive weapon of the twenty-first century will be the education and skills of the workforce.
Lester Thurow

Corporations are starting to take on the complexity of biological systems. And at that point, they become out of our control.
Kevin Kelly

Opdrag aan die leiers:Groepsbespreking oor leierskap

Kyk na die aanhanlings en neem tien minute om te se watter van die aanhalings het iets te se vir die kerk en watter ons liefs moet ignoreer.

Kyk na Gulke se paradigmas as ‘n inleiding. Skryf nou saam met die groep ‘n defenisie vir leierskap vir die finalejaarklas van 1983 op ‘n blaaibordvel

en dan een vir die die klas 25 jaar later: 2008 op die blaaibord

As julle hiermee klaar is kan julle op die meeste 5 dinge op ‘n blaaibordvel neerskryf om met die groter groep te deel. Less is more

Doel van die oefening:

Is om ons te laat nadink oor leierskap

Is om te leer by wat in die wereld om ons aan die gebeur is tov van leierskap

Isom begrip te ontwikkel dat daar ‘n groot verskil is tussen die styl van leierskap van 25 jaar gelede en vandag.