For most of our lives, we’ve been told that to be a success you need to become an expert. First find your sweet spot—what you’ll study at university, what will inspire your career path, what you’ll be when you ‘grow up’—and then get great at that one special thing you do.
But industries are evolving faster than ever. Specialisations are becoming outdated and single-mindedness is closing us off from opportunity. The question is: how can you become future-ready when what you know won’t necessarily apply and, in fact, might be hindering your ability to learn?
How a life-changing moment inspired the CEO of Herrmann International to lead her life with intention
Sometimes it takes a big “aha” moment to answer that question. In her TEDx Talk, Think Like Your Future Depends On It, Because it Does (watch the video below), Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, opens up about an intense moment in her life that changed everything—and how that changed everything else.
To design your future, Ann says, you have to get deliberate about it, and that process starts with getting deliberate about your thinking. Your thinking preferences affect everything that you do, from decision-making and problem-solving to the way you view the future.
How Whole Brain® Thinking can help you design the future you want
But, as Ann points out, even though everyone has access to all four thinking quadrants, HBDI® assessment data reveals that 97% of us have a strong preference for just one, two or three of them. A better understanding of how you think and how you can stretch your thinking when necessary will give you an entirely new perspective on where you want to go and how to get there. And if you’re a leader, HR professional, coach or mentor, it will give you new insight and tools for helping others on their journeys, too.
As Ann shares in her talk, it took a fire to set her free—to open her up to saying goodbye to the past and facing her fears about the future head-on. What do you need to set alight so that you can design the future you want?
Watch the video now to learn Ann’s five thinking hacks for getting and staying future-ready, no matter what comes your way.