No one can predict the future—unless time machines become a thing! But let me share one of my favorite quotes:

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”‍

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Think of it this way… if I eat well and exercise every day for three weeks, I’m creating for myself a new future. Can I predict that I will feel better and have more energy three weeks from now? The answer is YES if I follow that routine. But if I eat 3 bowls of ice cream every day, I will have a different future.

No one can 100% accurately predict the future, but you have far more influence over your future than you think. Thinking about the future, and acting now to make it a reality, that is what it means to be forward-looking.
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HERE IS THE TRUTH: You can be a Forward-Looking person. And you can learn how to increase the likelihood of that future coming true. Click to tweet.

Being honest and being forward-looking are the two most admired traits that a leader could have. And you can make bothof them a bigger part of your life.

According to a survey discussed in Kouzes and Posner’s Learning Leadership book, being “forward-looking” is defined as being visionary and concerned about thef uture—and apparently, it is part of the top two admired leadership qualities of the respondents.

When we say forward-looking, it’s so much more than focusing on deadlines. Instead, it goes beyond due dates. Leaders focus on what’s next, and what’s next after that!Then because they focus on the future, they are able to mobilize the present accordingly.

So how can you make sure that you always improve the way you, as a leader, look to the future? Three Steps!

1.     STOP. Take a few minutes. Decide if you are the person you want to be a month from now. If so, keep going. If you want to begin to see some small victories in a particular area, write down your goal. If you want to be at that different place in a month, where do you need to be in two weeks? One week? Tomorrow? Go do one small thing that will help that to come true tomorrow.

2.     LOOK… to the future. What would be abetter future than you are experiencing on your team, at work, in your neighborhood? What is something that you will stand up for? What needs to change?

3.     LISTEN... to your team. Share your vision and tell a story. “When I was a little boy I experienced X (negative event). Kids today are still experiencing something similar, even though it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Give example. 20 years from now, it will still be the same, unless some people like us step up and make a difference.This is on my heart. I want to do something. What do you think we could do? Now—listen to your team .

So, I guess you can predict the future! But, if the future is going to be different, someone has to get out of their day-to-day, walking around, ordinary life. They need to stop, and decide the future is going to be different for them and for others. They must see the underlying need, not just the need that presents m itself. And they must listen to the hearts of those around them.

So, what do you want to be different a month from now? Let me know at rob@leadertribe.com.

Much love and respect,

Dr. Rob

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