Being truly "proactive"

We are fixated on events. Our brains are hardwired to think about the here and now. Our brain is constantly scanning the horizon, trying to identify and combat any potential threats. This was great when we were cavemen running from lions. This instinct kept us alive. But today, the biggest threats in both our society and organizations are not from sudden events but from slow, gradual processes. But this wiring in our brain leaves us ill-prepared to combat a declining middle class, a failing public education system, and climate change.

We try to be "proactive," but more often than not, being proactive is actually just reactiveness in disguise. We are conditioned to fight the "enemy out there" by reacting. We fail to be truly proactive - this comes from seeing how we contribute to our own problems.

We are conditioned to blame outside forces for our problems - the government, our neighbors, our enemies, the press - they did this to us. Systems thinking shows us that there is no "outside" threat. We and the cause of our problems are part of a single system. To find a cure, we need to change our relationship with the "enemy."

Spend 10% more on forecasting and designing for the long-term future vs. responding to immediate crises.

Thank you, PS.

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