Like it or not, were powerless to stop the progression and advancement of society. Its happening all around us in business, technology, culture, and climate. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on where the future will take us, a new gadget or device is introduced, the political arena takes a turn, or a new norm suddenly overpowers the current social climate.

WOW leaders need to move with the changes or, even better, be motivators of change. Those stuck in a rut of immobility that are unwilling or unable to navigate through the fast-paced movement of our world will not maintain successful leadership for long. As WOW leaders, we need to be prepared to move as rapidly as whats happening all around us, and be ready for or one step ahead of whats next.

Here are some of my predictions/expectations for the future:

• Cashiering will be eliminated. New advancements will make even the self-checkout lanes an antiquity. When you shop in the future, everything in your cart will be automatically scanned without having to remove one single item.
• The divide between the haves and have-nots will widen. As technological advancements continue to eliminate jobs, and college degrees become more of a commodity, there will be fewer opportunities for people without marketable skills.
• China will become a democratic society. History teaches us that governments only last for so long, and change is inevitable. As Chinas positions itself as a manufacturing powerhouse, the increased financial gain and Westernization will eventually give way to a democratic culture in our childrens lifetime.
• Social media will be fragmented and eliminated. Studies have shown a correlation between time spent watching television and job position: in general, the higher your education and salary, the less time you spend watching TV. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, will become the playground of the unskilled. Other social media will target specific talents, skill sets, and market themselves as a specific closed group.
• People will pay for Google invisibility. People will begin to pay to conceal personal information on search engines.
• Talent pools will have more individual contributors and fewer leaders. Kids learn social interaction differently these days. Today, fun is scheduled by the parents with “organized” play dates. Children are no longer out in the front yards playing spontaneous, imaginative games and sports. They aren’t building leadership skills by picking teams and establishing rules on their own. In the future, this kind of structured, controlled playing will have long-reaching effects.
• Rewards systems will be centralized. Eventually, you’ll be able to toss out all of those preferred buyer and rewards cards that clutter up your purse or wallet. Instead, there will be one centralized card or a smart phone database system that will keep track of all your purchases and points with one simple swipe or scan.

 

While none of my predictions may actually come to fruition, one thing is for certain: things will change. They always do. And while the future may be impossible to map out, whatever’s next is sure to WOW…so as a leader, make sure you do, too!

–Sheri Staak