What does the leader of the future look like?
The best leaders make awesome where awesome is not by having a strong point of view of the future and is a learning animal; that’s what they look like.
Recently Bill Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company and author of various books on leadership and innovation, released his latest book Simply Brilliant.
A theme of the book is about what drive the most unique leaders forward, one key trait is fierce optimism. John Gardner calls it Tough Minded Optimism: a fierce conviction about what you’re trying to do. A deep sense of belief in yourself and your colleagues, a truly open mind about what’s possible, and a sense of resolve and resilience in the face of setbacks.
The future, is not shaped by people who don’t believe in the future. It’s shaped by people who want something very much, who believe something very much, by men and women whose enthusiasm carries them forward.
It’s hard to have a big positive impact in the future if you don’t believe in the future.
Here’s Bill Taylor’s full chat from HBR: