As the expression goes, ‘What got you here, won’t get you there’. Leaders need to constantly have an eye on the future, and take active steps to re-shape their thinking AND capabilities to … stay relevant … in an ever changing environment. For example, with all the rain in France this spring, the metaphor of the Cow morphing into a Fish is a rather amusing and fantastical reminder of the need to stay relevant.

The challenges to staying Future Fit are numerous, such as – lack of sufficient internal & external self-awareness, failing to identify blind spots, not enough time (got to hate that one!), and more.

Despite these challenges, a good part of staying Future Fit is the mastery of a powerful leadership practice — it’s obvious, but simply not used nearly enough – SEEKING FEEDBACK (tied only with giving meaningful feedback).

Leaders who seek regular feedback are able to adapt their thinking & behaviours, identify & address blind spots … and stay relevant. Perhaps a good first step — and a courageous one for some — is to find out how you are perceived at work, and the best way to do that is:

Identify 5 to 7 (trusted) colleagues and ask for a face-to-face meeting to ask two questions:

1. What’s the general perception of me?
2. What could I do differently that would have the greatest impact on my success?

Simply acknowledge their views with grace and do not fall into the fatal trap of justifying yourself. Then analyse the results, look for patterns … and … decide what you need to do differently going forward.

For more on this, check out the work of Kristi Hedges.