This Insights article was contributed by Richard J. Walsh, Director, UNCW Swain Center for Executive & Economic Development.

The Swain Center is looking into the future, and helping leaders prepare themselves and their organizations for big changes that are coming.  We are now seeing a whole “new world of work” and “future fluency’ that is required for continued success. One thing is for sure, preparing for the future requires big changes. Are you prepared?  

This “insight” provides a fresh perspective on talent and leadership. You will find important trends along with select strategies to help leaders prepare for the future.  

First, changes are occurring across all markets. Big shifts are being closely watched in targeted industries, nano-technologies, artificial intelligence, STEM research, distribution of goods, urban living patterns, consumer buying habits and big data.

Second, leaders are preparing themselves and their teams to embrace change. High-growth organizations are driving innovative solutions, creating new business models, building strategic partnerships, and harnessing the power of data and analytics.

Third, the faster-growing segments are embracing what it means to create “future fluency”. This requires a shift in mindset, skills, and even vision. Their leaders are learning how to be more agile, resilient and much broader in their thinking.  
 
Fourth, the workforce is shifting, and fast. How work gets done will soon be very different than we see today. Driven by the next generation, or “next-gen” of workers and fueled by technology, a more flexible and diverse workforce will emerge. Are you prepared?
 
High-growth organizations are already shifting how they develop talent for the future. They are employing fresh, innovative strategies in “resilient leadership”, encouraging leaders to take on “heat experiences” to gain exposure to multiple parts of the business, and “coaching talent for the future” to rapidly prepare leaders for the future.    

Some of my future insights posts will outline in further detail these key areas.  
 
Robert T. Burrus, Jr., Ph.D., is the dean of the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, named in June 2015. Burrus joined the UNCW faculty in 1998. Prior to his current position, Burrus was interim dean, associate dean of undergraduate studies and the chair of the department of economics and finance. Burrus earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from Wake Forest University. The Cameron School of Business has approximately 60 full-time faculty members and 20 administrative and staff members. The AACSB-accredited business school currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate students in three degree programs and 200 graduate students in four degree programs. The school also houses the prestigious Cameron Executive Network, a group of more than 200 retired and practicing executives that provide one-on-one mentoring for Cameron students. To learn more about the Cameron School of Business, please visit http://csb.uncw.edu/. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].