Named an Inc. Magazine Ten Best New Business Books of 2020
“Make this a selection for your leadership team’s book club.”
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Featured in Forbes Top Ten Technology Books of 2020
“Enables executives to think clearly, creatively and extensively about the future while turning ideas for the future into action today.”
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Gold Medalist, Leadership Category
An innovative approach to strategy development that empowers leaders to envision the breakthrough opportunities that drive long-term growth—and then implement the initiatives that are needed to bring them to life.
We all know visionary leaders when we see them. They’re bold and prophetic and at the same time pragmatic. They don’t just promote change, but drive it, while inspiring and mobilizing others to do the same.
Transformational business visionaries like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos, or political figures like Mandela and FDR, possess a range of innate qualities that make them extraordinary, but what truly sets them apart is their ability to turn vision into action.
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- How the future-back principles and mindset can enable you and your leadership team to look beyond a typical short-term planning horizon and grasp the challenges and opportunities that will define the future
- A step by step approach for translating your vision into a strategic plan that your team can align around and commit to
- A way to infuse visionary thinking into the processes and culture of your whole organization, so that it becomes both a repeatable capability and a way of life
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About the Authors
Mark Johnson is co-founder and Senior Partner of Innosight where he helps companies envision and create new growth, manage transformation, and achieve renewal through business model innovation. Read more.
Josh Suskewicz is a Partner at Innosight where he partners with leaders to transform their organizations in response to disruptive change, identify high potential growth opportunities, accelerate the development of promising emerging technologies, and guide the creation of new business models. Read more.
Related insights & Resources
Reinventing How Industrial Organizations Address Disruptive Change
December 2021
The effects of the disruptive forces in industrials are large and non-linear. A “future-back” approach to strategy can give organizations the confidence to act and break the cycle of “better sameness.” Read the full executive briefing.
A Future-Back Approach to Breakthrough Growth
September 2020
Big organizations are shorter-lived than they have ever been. Future-back thinking is a way to develop a clear vision of your organization’s future, to anticipate growth opportunities, and to stop doing the things that are becoming irrelevant. Read the briefing.
Leaders, Do You Have a Clear Vision for the Post-Crisis Future?
April 2020
Whether in times of crisis—like the current COVID-19 pandemic—or in times of relative stability, leading with a vision and articulating a strategic path forward is crucial for long-term business success. Read the full article from Harvard Business Review.
Visionary Thinking in Times of Crisis
April 2020
Watch Mark W. Johnson, co-founder and senior partner at Innosight, and Innosight partner Josh Suskewicz, coauthors of the new book Lead from the Future in the on-demand webcast here.
TO BUILD STRATEGY, START WITH THE FUTURE
May 2020
Even during a crisis, developing a “future-back” mindset can spur innovation and growth. In this HBR IdeaCast interview, Mark Johnson shares how to look beyond the short-term to grasp future opportunities. Listen here.
Lead from the Future: The Idea In Five
May 2020
Short on time? This illustrated mini-book captures the key concepts and highlights in a quick-read, shareable format. Download the PDF.
Does Your Company Have a Long-Term Plan for Remote Work?
July 2020
Future-back thinking can help leaders set and achieve their new work paradigm so it’s not replacing one dogma with another. Read the full article from Harvard Business Review.
Do the U.S.’s Big Four Tech Companies Have a Vision for the Future?
July 2020
The jury is still out on what Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google can become. Will they be driven over the next 10 years by the pursuit of profit, or will they bring new value into the world? Read the full article in Harvard Business Review.
“A powerful manifesto for long-view thinking, Lead from the Future offers step-by-step guidance for leadership teams that want to let go of the past and seize a new future. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any manager who wants to become a visionary leader.”
– Scott Cook, co-founder and chairman of the executive committee, Intuit; member of the boards of directors at Procter & Gamble and eBay
“Lead from the Future shares invaluable examples of “Future-back” thinkers and companies who have exhibited long-term focus, sustained investments, and life-changing innovations. The book provides actionable insights and operating models to challenge your leadership teams to create a better tomorrow.”
– Wendell P. Weeks, Chairman & CEO of Corning
“Lead from the Future not only makes a powerful case for the need for long-term vision—it gives leaders the tools that they need to set a new course for their organization and navigate it towards a better future.”
– Admiral James Stavridis, USN, Operating Executive, The Carlyle Group; Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (2009-2013)
“Effective leadership today is about building an environment in which people are willing and able to co-create a better future. Lead from the Future explains why that can be so difficult in large organizations—and shows how barriers to breakthrough innovation can be overcome.”
– Linda Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, author of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation
“The next decade will be far too noisy for conventional present-forward strategy. Leaders must look back from the future but act now. Johnson and Suskewicz show us how to discover the present value of future-back thinking.”
– Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future, author of twelve books, including Full-Spectrum Thinking
“Lead from the Future’s central premise is deceptively straightforward but decidedly revolutionary. In short, before an organization can master its future, its leaders must think about it systematically—with vision and creativity, but also with discipline, rigor, and realism. The rest is sound management. Johnson and Suskewicz have raised a battle cry for the kind of leadership that we need in these uncertain times.”
– Sandi Peterson, Operating Partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, member of the Microsoft board of directors, and former Group Worldwide Chairman at Johnson & Johnson
In the Media
May 18, 2020
SmallBizDaily: Planning, Not Just Hoping for the New Normal
Mark Johnson and Josh Suskewicz shares the importance of visionary thinking in times of crisis.
May 15, 2020
The certain answer during COVID-19: Be kind, smart and important
In this Deseret News interview, Mark Johnson discusses the leadership challenge during a pandemic.
May 14, 2020
The Economist: Planning ahead when the future is uncertain
Mark Johnson shares insight on the coronavirus and planning for the future.
May 14, 2020
IBM’s Business of Government podcast
Mark Johnson discusses how to plan for the future in this podcast.
May 12, 2020
HBR IdeaCast: To Build Strategy, Start with the Future
Even during a crisis, developing a “future-back” mindset can spur innovation and growth. Mark Johnson shares how to look beyond the short-term planning horizon and grasp future opportunities.
May 11, 2020
The Future of Work Podcast
Mark Johnson shares how to lead from the future in this podcast episode.
May/June Issue
BizEd Magazine
Lead from the Future is included in this BizEd Magazine bookshelf review.
April 30, 2020
HBR The Disruptive Voice Podcast
In this Disruptive Voice episode, Mark Johnson shares reflections on his work and friendship with Clay Christensen and a process of longer-term management called future-back thinking.
April 30, 2020
Creative Life Podcast
Creative Life host James Taylor interviews Mark Johnson on how to Lead From The Future.
April 30, 2020
The Innovation Show Podcast
Mark Johnson is interviewed in this podcast on how to turn visionary thinking into breakthrough growth by leading from the future.
April 30, 2020
LinkedIn Videocast with Vijay
Mark Johnson joins host Vijay Raju for an interview on the new book Lead from the Future.
April 29, 2020
Innovation & Leadership Podcast
Myelin Media and Mark W. Johnson discuss innovation and leadership in this two-part interview podcast.
April 28, 2020
Therefore What Podcast
In this episode, Mark Johnson talks about how the essential trait for leading a business, community or country through a crisis is vision.
April 28, 2020
Inside Sources Podcast
Mark Johnson joins this episode to discuss why forward-thinking leadership is even more important today than ever.
April 28, 2020
The Inside Outside Blog
Lead from the Future is featured in this Inside Outside Innovation Must-Reads List.
April 27, 2020
TheEconomist.com
Mark Johnson shares his thoughts on the importance of long-term thinking.
April 24, 2020
The Everyday Innovator Podcast
In this podcast, Mark Johnsons shares how product managers and leaders turn visionary thinking into breakthrough growth.
April 21, 2020
Jacob Morgan’s LinkedIn Live
Mark Johnson joined Jacob Morgan on LinkedIn live to discuss how to become a visionary leader and change the world.
April 21, 2020
Inside LaunchStreet
In this podcast with host Tamara Ghandour, Mark Johnson explores the concept of “Future-Back” thinking from the new book Lead from the Future.
April 17, 2020
Voice America’s Transformational Energy Leadership
Mark Johnson joins host Dr. Matthew Woolsey for a conversation on transformational leadership.
April 15, 2020
QUARTZ AT WORK (FROM HOME) ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Watch Mark Johnson with the At Work editor, Heather Landy talk how to lead from the future.
April 14, 2020
SHRM’s People + Strategy
Mark Johnson shares the importance of future-minded leaders for innovation.
April 14, 2020
Medium’s Marker
Mark Johnson reveals how companies can plan years ahead, even in the midst of a crisis.
April 14, 2020
Leadership Freak
In this interview, Mark Johnson shares how leaders can create the future today.
April 14, 2020
Leadership Now
Lead from the Future is featured in the top new releases on the issues facing leaders.
April 14, 2020
The Innovation Room
In this podcast’s first episode, Mark Johnson shares insights from his new book Lead from the Future.
April 14, 2020
Inspiring Innovation
In this in-depth interview with Jesse Nieminen, Mark Johnson shares the story behind his new book going back to the beginnings of Innosight nearly 20 years ago.
April 14, 2020
Disrupt Yourself Podcast
Mark Johnson joins host Whitney Johnson for a conversation on future back thinking.
April 9, 2020
Success Magazine
Lead from the Future is featured in this list of 6 business books you need to read to level up.
April 1, 2020
Inside Higher ED
Mark Johnson and Peter Stokes on how higher education can overcome the crisis-induced backlash against online education, in Inside Higher Ed.
March 25, 2020
Fast Leader Show – Interview with mark Johnson
Mark Johnson joins Jim Rembach on the Fast Leader Show with insights on “Future Back” thinking and how leaders can plan for the long-term.
also by innosight
