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4 Future-­Ready Leadership ­ Whether you are planning to future-­proof an organ­ization that ­ you’ve spent a ­ career building, or you are a student in a college classroom, the strategies in this book ­will help you get ready to lead in the ­future of work and life. The technological changes that define the 4IR are unlike any that leaders have had to navigate in previous economic eras. Fourth industrial revolution technologies are challenging us to rethink work and the very nature of what it means to be ­human. To me, the fact that 4IR technologies, particularly ­those related to artificial intelligence, are raising questions about the possibility of a jobless ­ future, a renewed cultural re­nais­sance, government-­backed basic income, and new forms of regulation for ­things like self-­driving cars is a ­ really big deal. Successfully tackling ­ these challenges ­will take a massive amount of aware- ness, understanding, and collaboration between public and private-­sector leaders. For this reason, we need to start the conversation, and deepen the conversations where they have already begun, as to how to become more future-­ ready and to build shared ­ futures together. I also wrote this book for leaders who may not be aware of the massive technological disruptions that are ­going to soon transform our organ­izations and our lives in major ways. Leaders are often pulled “into the weeds” of the organ­izations that they lead ­because of the complexities of the prob­lems and uncertainties that their organ­izations face. Sometimes it seems like every­one in an organ­ization has their head ­ under the hood of the car, and, as a result, no one is looking at the road map or out the windshield. Consider this your wake-up call! This book is the competitive advantage that ­you’ve been search- ing for to build a thriving organ­ization amid rapid 4IR change. What Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? What I’ve referred to as the 4IR is not something made up—­it’s not an aca- demic theory. It’s an economic fact that is supported by solid economic and technological evidence. Although it may sound like something out of a Star Wars movie, the 4IR is ­ here and now. The digital age is both promising and perilous and, as leaders, it’s your job to make the most of it and to protect your organ­ization from it. Just as the mechanical loom and steam-­powered engine marked the first industrial revolution, the mega trends and technologies that already exist, such as the photonic glasses described in the beginning of this chapter, have marked the earliest phases of the 4IR. ­ Because ­ we’re in the early phases of the 4IR, it’s not too late to start the future-­proofing pro­cess for your organ­ization and your workforce. You can start building tomorrow’s leaders right now. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the 4IR is the fourth major industrial era of ­ human history.2 Other authorities on the ­ future of work have referred to the 4IR as the second machine age or Industry 4.0.3 ­ These authors have begun raising awareness among leaders about specific 4IR