Day 1 or 21 Days of Futures Fit Learning - Strategic Foresight

26 Jun 2026 · 2 min

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1:51

In this opening segment of the Future Fit series, the speaker introduces the concept of strategic foresight as the first of seven Futures Competencies. Strategic foresight is defined as the systematic exploration of emerging trends, signals, and uncertainties to inform present decisions about multiple plausible futures. The speaker emphasizes that the future is not neutral; it is shaped by decisions, and leaders often inherit futures they have not examined. The talk distinguishes foresight from prediction, rejecting crystal‑ball certainty and instead focusing on attention, intention, and clarity. By pausing to examine inherited worldviews, values, and systems, leaders can intentionally shape preferable futures rather than defaulting to others' ideals. The segment sets the stage for deeper exploration of foresight skills throughout the series.

Chapters

The future doesn't just happen, it is shaped through decisions. Welcome to day 1 of the Future Fit series, where we're learning how to develop the foresight, insight, and transformation skills to have a positive future. We're doing that through learning about the 7 Futures Competencies. All the skills we need are built on top of those competencies, and the first one we'll explore is that of strategic foresight. Strategic foresight is the ability to systematically explore emerging trends and signals and uncertainties in order to inform present-day decisions about multiple potential or plausible futures. The future is not neutral. It doesn't just happen. It is shaped through decisions, ours or someone else's. Now, we need to be able to anticipate what may emerge. We're not talking about prediction. There's no crystal balls here. And we're not talking about certainty either. but we're looking at attention, intention, and clarity. If we don't have that clarity, then we're defaulting to somebody else's ideal future, one that may not serve us. Most leaders inherit the future that they've refused to examine. They've inherited various components and worldviews and values and systems. So we need to ask if we can pause and examine what we have inherited, and then anticipate what kind of future may emerge if we don't intentionally act to change it. That is what strategic foresight is all about, and I look forward to exploring this with you further.