Leadership and BANI: The Futurecaster

Michele Aikens

How will your leadership respond to what the future requires?

In my last blog about BANI, I promised to explore a newly identified leadership style entitled "Futurecaster". This leadership style is proposed as a response to the challenges of work through a BANI (brittle, anxiety-producing, non-linear, incomprehensible) environment, in an article written by Kevin Kruse.

Let's start with this question: What does the future require of you? Don't wait until the future to ponder that question. While we are currently in the throes of what appears to be a lot of upheaval, the future is being shaped. While we do lots of forecasting for our organizations, how are you forecasting for your leadership and your team?

In the Forbes article, Kruse speaks of the five competencies of Futurecaster leadership: strategic storytelling, agility, innovation, relational and resilience. As per normal, here are some questions for you and your team to consider:

1.     What story are you telling yourself and others about your leadership or organization? Are you willing to hear different versions of that story from others on your team? What factors will change that story over the next year, or five years?

2.     When you think about the things that could change your team's story over the next year, how prepared is your team to pivot should one of the 'incomprehensibles' of BANI happen? What are the most critical threats you envision to your organization and your leadership?

3.     If you take the courage to look at those critical threats, does your team have the freedom to think outside their current boxes and identify tracts of innovation? What missing strengths will be most vital to overcoming the gaps in what the future needs from you or your team?

4.     Do you even know the strengths on your team? Consider the shift for Futurecaster leaders from the distanced, dictatorial leader to the one who is relational. How can you, with intention, cultivate a culture of assessment (knowing what), assignment (knowing who), and acknowledgment (celebrating when)? 

5.     Finally, what systems are in place to help you honor your storyline, plan for plot twists, know your cast of characters, and stay open to different? That's resilience.

Futurecaster leading, by definition, has to start now.

Imagine your leadership team around a table, talking through your story using these discussion points? At Clear Sight Coaching and Consulting, we are offering teams of 5-8 people the opportunity to sit around a table and consider your organization's story for the future. And yes, here's a plug for the Plot Twist Exercise for larger teams.

Michele Aikens is CEO of Clear Sight Coaching & Consulting, Inc.

Host a round table coaching session for your leadership team.