Leading Thoughts for December 11, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

Paul J. H. Schoemaker on the value of scenario planning:

“The purpose of developing scenarios is not to pinpoint the future, but rather to experience it. Scenario planning is not really about planning but about changing people’s mindsets to allow faster learning and smarter actions. The process of developing scenarios is one of gaining experience in a simulated future. When You feel the future deep in your bones, you gain a set of instincts that allow you to respond quickly and effectively to new challenges they unfold. The process enlarges the repertoire of responses available to managers based on superior pattern recognition. In an uncertain and changing environment, faster learning is the only lasting source competitive advantage, and scenario planning is a powerful way to accomplish this elusive goal.”

Source: Profiting from Uncertainty: Strategies for Succeeding No Matter What the Future Brings

Max Bazerman and Michael Watkins on challenging the status quo:

“Decision-makers, organizations, and nations often fail to prepare for predictable surprises because of the natural human tendency to maintain the status quo. Above and beyond concerns about the cost and time requirements of change, when a system still functions and there is no crisis to catalyze action, we will keep doing things the way we have always done them. Acting to avoid a predictable surprise requires a decision to act against this bias and to change the status quo. By contrast, most organizations change incrementally, preferring short-term fixes to long-term solutions. To avoid predictable surprises, leaders must make the case for change and eliminate the status quo as an option.”

Source: Predictable Surprises: The Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming, and How to Prevent Them

Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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