FUTURE DIALOGUES AS A STARTING POINT FOR OUR JOURNEY
"We must develop the future ourselves, otherwise we will get one we do not want."
This is how Joseph Beuys described the societal challenge we face more than 20 years ago. But how can we shape the future? How can companies build future viability? How can we, as consultants, support individuals and businesses in systematically developing future fitness? And how does this fit into a corporate environment where people are already overwhelmed with their daily business?
To explore what people and companies are doing in this regard, we conducted more than twenty future dialogues in Germany and Austria.1). Wir sprachen mit unterschiedlichsten Menschen in verantwortungsvollen Positionen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Branchen über ihre ganz persönliche Zukunftsfähigkeit und wie sich das in ihrer Führungsarbeit niederschlägt.
Our first conclusion: Those who engage in such a dialogue have future viability, sustainability, and resource management on their radar. We found that almost everyone we spoke to took the time for this topic, recognizing its importance. However, we also discovered that future viability is interpreted and practiced in very different ways. For some, it is more of a personal attitude toward life, while others see it primarily as an entrepreneurial and societal challenge. A third group consciously integrates these levels into their self-understanding.
Overall, there was a very open and engaged exchange.
FUTURE VIABILITY – WHAT DOES IT AIM FOR, WHAT CAN IT ACHIEVE?
„When memories exceed dreams, the end is near.“ NN
But what does future viability actually mean? Future-ready individuals oscillate between optimizing what already exists and building openness to new things within themselves and others. To create something new, they break their daily routines and make use of creative, generative spaces. They move away from the idea of total control and predictability and develop a deeper understanding of the interconnections within our society and its systems. They never tire of looking at the present with fresh eyes because they know it is crucial to recognize weak signals as early indicators of change and use them proactively for decision-making. Their engagement is contagious, inspiring others and fostering enthusiasm for a shared future.
People who are "future fit" possess an awareness of purpose and values and maintain a clear inner alignment. Those who have inner stability can better cope with external uncertainty and are able to acknowledge what they do not know.
What is certain is that if entrepreneurs succeed in finding such people and integrating these mechanisms into their organizations, the way they handle complexity and speed will change. This will lead to the development of new and different forms of strategic learning and performance capability.
THE DIALOGUES
We began our dialogues by asking about key milestones and turning points in our conversation partners' journeys. Through this, we aimed to discover the formative experiences that have shaped future-conscious individuals and the life philosophy or fundamental mindset that emerged from them. Here’s what we found:
Inner Growth and Participation in the Greater Whole
When future-conscious individuals reflect on their own journey, they see continuous learning and taking risks as essential mechanisms for personal growth. "We are capable of far more than we believe. I must dedicate myself to a cause. What is happening in the world, and what response is required from me within my sphere of influence?" This is how one managing director, for example, reflects on his development so far.
Risk-taking and the ability to embrace new things
Furthermore, many conversations revealed that these individuals possess a strong ability to embrace new and unfamiliar experiences. Some attributed this to their upbringing, while others developed this enthusiasm and passion over time, often in connection with successfully overcoming crises and challenging life situations. "If something in life doesn't feel right for a long time, change it. Always be ready to start anew."
Recognizing the needs of others (employees, partners, etc.)
The ability to connect and the sensitivity to the needs of various stakeholders require a keen sense of perception, as well as closeness and appreciation for people. The leaders we interviewed embody this multi-perspective approach. "In recent years, I have learned a lot about achieving a different quality of communication. The solution to many issues often lies in more and better interactions."
HOW DOES ORIENTATION IN A CAREER, AND IN LIFE IN GENERAL, COME ABOUT?
"The greatest decision of your life is that you can change your life by changing your mindset." — Albert Schweitzer
We also wanted to find out what attitudes people maintain who consider themselves future-ready. Our conversations revealed overlapping as well as complementary statements from different participants. The following aspects were of central importance:
Inner Anchoring – Being in Touch with Oneself
Here, we were particularly impressed by a 70-year-old specialist in innovation and design. He is deeply committed to addressing the major issues and challenges of our world while remaining mindful and present in the "now."
Fundamental Trust in Life
An executive reflected on this: "Looking back, I never had a fear of the future, even if I wasn’t sure whether a particular step would succeed. In hindsight, everything makes sense, and there were always paths forward, even if they weren’t always immediately visible."
Recognizing the Interconnectedness of Life and Embracing Change
A key aspect of orientation is the continuous practice of staying future-ready. "Understanding life as a whole is a form of training. I train my soul to endure it all." From this, we conclude that the ability to remain adaptable under the pressure of change is crucial—without losing oneself in the experience of accelerating transformation.
Letting Go of the Illusion of Control Without Abandoning Goals
This requires a conscious and enlightened engagement with one's desire for control, planning, and management. As one executive put it: "I can only achieve clarity and stability when I am in good contact with myself, my inner source, and not attached to wishes and expectations." Another interviewee described the importance of preserving joy in one’s inner depths: "There is solid ground there; a lot can happen, but I won’t be easily blown away." The life story behind these words is not a romanticized narrative but rather a long and intentional journey—one that this person fully acknowledges and embraces.
The Will to Shape and Create
One of the bank managers emphasized how important it is for him to act from his own inner sense of self and to be tangible as a person for his employees. "Anyone who wants to shape and lead must be clear about the contribution they want to make to a world of contrasts,"—a particularly relevant topic in the banking sector today.
IS DECISION-MAKING SUBJECT TO A PARADIGM SHIFT?
"In living nature, nothing happens that is not connected to the whole." — J. W. von Goethe
The next questions we posed were directed toward the future. In this, we were guided by Claus Otto Scharmer’s Theory. In short, he argues that the past is no longer a sufficient advisor for making decisions. He raises the question of how we can successfully make sustainable and sound decisions based on the emerging future, ensuring entrepreneurial success and leadership.
The Ability to Question Conventional Concepts
Some of our interviewees demonstrated their approach to important future decisions primarily by raising critical questions: Is what we are experiencing truly a major paradigm shift? And if so, what are the driving forces, and where are the key levers? Or is this simply an inherent process of life—an evolutionary and developmental pressure on human consciousness, manifesting in many small and subtle paradigm shifts? Does this not, in turn, contribute to an increased personal awareness of life? And what if an employee, who previously saw themselves merely as a passive service provider, became an active participant in the company, unlocking their drive for growth and development? What we found particularly interesting was the frequent connection drawn between personal growth and broader societal evolution.
Self-Development and Participation – Recognizing Responsibility for Oneself and the Whole
We also found the perspective on society particularly intriguing: In the future, it may no longer be seen as "the state up there," but rather as a collective of individuals who view the state as a field of action and actively engage in shaping it. "We will—or must—become more aware of all aspects of our existence on this planet through our own efforts, based on personal experience and firsthand knowledge, rather than secondhand information." For our interviewees, this implies that personal development will take the highest priority in the future. "If this leads to a greater sense of meaning in our personal lives, it could also lay the foundation for a deeper, more lived and experienced sense of responsibility for our community and our planet."
Employee Development – With a New Mindset
The development of employees was also a top priority for many of the leaders we interviewed. However, rather than focusing on traditional training and seminars, the emphasis was on role flexibility, perspective shifts, co-creation, and the ability to navigate extremes, fluctuations, and uncertainties. Investing in mindset work and mental well-being provides a significant advantage in dealing with complexity and rapid change. One executive put it pragmatically: "We need to adapt—whenever a challenge arises. Inspiring people to take on challenges and step out of their comfort zones is, for me, the key to future success." A publishing director added: "I see it as crucial to contribute to a culture of debate and strong discourse skills. For me, it’s about advancing the relationship between knowledge and education to ensure our country remains future-ready."
Resource and Energy Productivity Driving the Paradigm Shift
Our interviewees identified health, spirituality, and community as key themes for the future, aligning closely with the perspective of futurist Erik Händeler3). The topic of resource and energy management also emerged frequently in our discussions. One interviewee, a leader in research and development, posed a fundamental question: "Will we have managed to solve challenges like population growth and energy management in 100 years?"
Driven by the two megatrends of demographics and globalization, the next wave of development will inevitably require a massive increase in resource and energy productivity. This challenge alone demands a high level of collaboration between economics, ecology, and societal engagement.
Harnessing the Wisdom of Many
One common theme emerged among all our interviewees: when discussing these major challenges, they consistently returned to the importance of human interaction. For a company to find solutions to the tasks ahead, it must bring people together in new ways, beyond traditional structures. Concepts such as crowdsourcing—the wisdom of many—, cluster thinking, navigating disruptive decisions, and managing domino effects were frequently mentioned. Business leaders recognize the need to raise awareness among their employees about global developments. At the same time, they reflect on what "organic, ethically sustainable growth" truly means.
DEALING WITH NOT KNOWING?
"The moment you dare, you begin to truly live." — J. W. von Goethe
But how do people cope with these enormous transformations? What can decision-makers and leaders do when faced with questions to which they honestly have no answers? In coaching, such moments are referred to as "Teachable Moments"4)—opportunities for learning and growth that arise precisely from uncertainty.
High Reflective Ability and Cultivated Sensitivity
Two key abilities we observed in all our interviewees were a high level of reflective capacity and consciously cultivated sensitivity, which they deliberately use to drive topics forward.
"Crises sharpened my perception of my inner worlds, and gradually, I began to understand the connection between inner and outer existence," said a bank executive. With this statement, he expressed his heightened sensitivity—the ability to preconsciously sense emerging external changes within himself and actively explore them.
Others deliberately withdraw, like the owner of a chemical company who retreats to his large library—a place he frequently used as a student—to reflect and engage in what he calls his "weekly cleansing" for mind and soul. Another interviewee found his metaphor in mountaineering. He described the experience of being stuck in a base camp, waiting for favorable weather conditions to climb an 8,000-meter peak: "You can’t leave. You are forced to pause and reflect; otherwise, you won’t endure it. Because if your motivation outweighs your sense of reason, it won’t get you anywhere."
Knowing Your Sources of Strength
A leader used the term "home" in this context, emphasizing that people need personal anchor points—relationships, routines, and elements in life that provide stability and guidance. For him, family and his wife serve as an important source of calm and strength. Another executive acknowledged the difficulty of providing orientation while having to make tough decisions, such as laying off employees. "It is challenging to provide direction when, as an entrepreneur, you have to make difficult decisions. For me, it was a balancing act—to manage my fear, remain authentic, and determine how much of my personal emotions I could and should reveal in such a difficult situation."
Many of the leaders we interviewed make use of intuitive methods of personal reflection to navigate challenges and maintain clarity in their decision-making.
OUR CONCLUSION: FUTURE READINESS MUST BE SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOPED
"The brain becomes what you passionately use it for." — G. Hüther
What we take away from these dialogues for our work is this: It is encouraging to see how leaders engage with future readiness and how they seek to interpret it for themselves—in an individual and intuitive way.
What is almost universally lacking, however, are structured approaches to systematically develop future readiness—both at an individual and organizational level—and integrate it into daily life. In coaching as well as in team and organizational consulting, we see clear areas for action to address this gap.
Future readiness in everyday life requires a broader and deeper discourse, as advocated by Theory U and the CERES Roadmap5).
In change and leadership development, future readiness must have a permanent place and, most importantly, be consistently practiced and integrated.
„CO –CREATION“
At the organizational level, this means creating opportunities and spaces for cross-functional thinking.
- To harness the wisdom of many when dealing with fluctuations and extremes.
- To train flexibility and perspective shifts.
- To cultivate integral thinking.
- And to ensure a continuous flow of insights from these "thinking spaces" into the daily operations of the organization.
COMBINING COACHING WITH "TEACHABLE MOMENTS"
Coaching can be highly effective in systematically expanding one's range of actions and thinking, thereby creating broader opportunities to strengthen personal future readiness. Individuals who experience this in coaching appreciate this form of support, as intuition can be better articulated and more effectively utilized through shared reflection. Examples of this include:
- Consciously practicing pausing, strengthening inner orientation when the external environment is unclear.
- Focusing on what matters most and aligning oneself with personal values and principles.
- Leveraging experience and intuition and connecting them with each other.
- As well as fostering alertness and presence.
Good coaching connects individual, inward-focused perception and inner growth with business and societal aspects. The higher someone’s level of responsibility, the more that leader must ensure quality time in the sense of their leadership role. Those who gain more clarity on their topics in one-on-one conversations can introduce these topics in a new and more open way into their professional environment.
Future fitness depends on our decisions in the present.
"In the wrong framework, it's difficult to move properly." — Angelika Glöckner
We are committed to making it clear to individuals and organizations that we have no choice when it comes to future readiness. The sooner we become aware of this fact, the sooner and better we can align our "antennas"—both personal and organizational. Coaching supports this process, helping people and organizations find and pursue their individual path to the future. Future readiness does not establish itself on its own. It requires shared spaces for thinking and action, where the most impactful people in an organization can collaboratively explore and test future ideas—dialogically, courageously, and authentically. If future readiness does not find its way into daily practice, it will be devoured by the demands of daily life. Our actions today determine the future we will get—a future we want, or one we don't.
1) Our conversations were shaped by the dialog approach of David Bohm and William Isaacs. This made the discussions significantly different from interviews. Dialogues require high attention and the ability to personally engage with the conversation partners and be inspired by their perspectives on questions and topics. 2) C.O. Scharmer, in his research and in his book "Theory U. Leading from the Future as it Emerges", traces how deep changes come into the world—both for individuals and in society. 3) Erik Händeler has long been intensively studying the 6th Kondratieff. It posits that development occurs in long waves, and we are currently transitioning into a new wave. This upcoming time period will be defined by the themes of health, spirituality, and community. 4) Wolfgang Looss explains in several of his recent lectures the significance of "Teachable Moments" in the coaching process for top executives. Teachable moments are moments of not knowing, confusion, and impasse. These are not comfortable situations in the lives of powerful, decision-making, and success-driven individuals. From his perspective, it is significant to use these moments to explore what these seemingly hopeless situations do to these individuals and how they deal with seemingly unsolvable challenges. 5) The CERES Roadmap for Sustainability provides companies with a comprehensive guide that makes sustainability an essential part of their strategy. This roadmap makes, through 20 criteria, measurable and tangible how economic, social, ecological, and environmental factors can be part of a company's performance evaluation.