The Language of a Thought Leader’s Brain
When you listen, do you hear time?
The past, the present, the future.
When we speak we unconsciously reference time frames
And more substantially, we direct ourselves and others to shift time based upon our language.
How are you doing today? Time frame is present
How did it go yesterday? Time frame is past
How will we make our numbers? Time frame future
We shift the question and the time frame.
Where do you think thought leaders brains are located in time?
Past, present, future.
No doubt we can hear them speak about things in the past, how it was, and how it is, but it is predominantly designed to construct the future.
As well it should be. To be an originator, a visionary you have to live at least part of the time in an imagined future. Your brain must anticipate and contemplate a future world. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said, “Great leaders invent the future they want.” So their present is the future.
If you want to have a bigger impact, have a new future you can describe. What will it look like, sound like, be like. Notice the time frame here, what will it …
JFK … we will send a man to the moon and back safely within the next decade.
And if you want an exercise to boost your brain to generate futures, try changing the verb tense and add in the future of the future will be.
For example, this will get us where we want to go and it will generate a new customer base that will lead to engagements that are at the core of what has, is and will be meaningful for us going forward.
Probability thinking is based upon the past and present conditions and accepting the givens as they are, and reacting to the risks and the likelihood of something working out.
Possibility thinking is based upon the future, it lifts you forward, it anticipates things working out without knowing exactly how or the conditions of the present. This is the province of Advantage-Making thought leaders. It is the brains of the Advantage-Maker creating advantages, originating new ways.
You can hear the future in the language of Thought Leaders.
How will you use this?
