Looking For The Next Big Idea?

As Alvin Toffler wrote in Future Shock, “The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those that cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

"The hardest part for anyone is trying to stay open to new and fresh ideas. I’ll be honest: The first time I saw the Internet, I was cynical. What is the big deal? How do you make money on this thing? I wondered. I had friends who were already talking to people all over the world via ham radio. Boring. But then the dot-com boom happened, and everybody wanted a website. It just took off, and I had to eat crow. Either I was right and it was a waste of time, or it was me who didn’t get it. No one was explaining it to me.

If someone had explained to me that the World Wide Web was a media channel, a publishing site, a storefront, a communications tool, a web log, and a social network all rolled into one, that had low operational costs and had far greater reach and influence than television, then I might not have been so cynical.

So take a page from my failures, and listen to your younger tech experts. Not only because they have the potential to start their own company and compete directly with you (many of my former employees have done just that), but also because the horrifying truth is that someday soon you may have to work for them. Many companies are reporting a shift in team management, with twentysomethings leading a Baby Boomer team. It is happening now."

- excerpt from Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia, page 64

Listening to today's young worker goes against the grain of what most Baby Boomers have been taught. But if you want to stay ahead of the curve and stay cutting edge (or be the cool uncle like me) I suggest you watch for the latest trends...like what will replace texting? Will computer tablets like the iPad replace laptops? Will MySpace go out of business?

Asking better questions will get better answers.

Have a GREAT 4th of July for those of you in the United States. And for those of you around the world, enjoy your Monday!!! I want to say enjoy your summer but it is winter in Australia.

Thanks again for reading...

Brad Szollose

Brad is the award winning author of Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia: Multigenerational Management Ideas That Are Changing The Way We Run Things ISBN-13: 978-1608320554

"Liquid Leadership is a game changer" - TJ, New York