Manufacturing First

14 | MANUFACTURING FIRST • October 2020 w w w. m a n u f a c t u r in g f i r s t . c o m A S I N D I V I D U A L S A N D businesses continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, it's tempting to focus on returning to the normalcy of the past, but disruptive innovation expert Daniel Burrus will tell you looking back is futile. A New York Times best-selling author, renowned futurist and keynote speaker at this year's Manufacturing First Expo & Conference, Burrus likens the situation to his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "It doesn't have a reverse. It can't go back; it can only go forward," he says. "One of the things I want to share is, we can never go back, but more importantly, we can make the road ahead much better when we learn how to navigate the new terrain." Burrus will deliver the event's first keynote, "The Anticipatory Leader: Crossroads moment Manufacturing First will guide attendees through crisis at hand BY JESSICA THIEL M A N U F A C T U R I N G F I R S T P R E V I E W A Proven Model to Predict Change and Create Extraordinary Results." In his Oct. 20 talk, he'll share strategies leaders can implement to identify and capitalize on the many new opportunities that are now available as well as recognize future disruptions that could arise. While Burrus acknowledges the loss of life, upheaval and angst COVID-19 has caused, he says manufacturers must act now to take advantage of the opportunities today's situation presents as well as to prepare for the future. "Post-pandemic success will be determined by what you do now, not post-pandemic," he says. The nation has never faced a moment quite like the one we're experiencing, Burrus says. Any one of the issues we're facing — a global pandemic with no clear end in sight, record-breaking debt with high economic uncertainty, a volatile stock market, social unrest surrounding racial inequality, and a heated presidential election — would be monumental on its own, and they're all happening simultaneously. In uncertain times like these, it's easy to become overwhelmed and anxious. It can help to realize that a personal or business strategy based on uncertainty carries high risk, but strategy based on certainty carries low risk and high rewards, Burrus says. To help guide businesses and leaders through decision-making, Burrus teaches them about harnessing the science of certainty to give them confidence to make bold moves. The Pentagon as well as many companies of all sizes have adopted the strategy. The process begins with categorizing trends as either hard trends — based on future facts that will happen — or soft trends — factors based on an assumption that might happen and therefore can be changed. Learning how to identify hard trends and their related opportunities will help manufacturers turn uncertainty into certainty and transform disruption and change into opportunity and advantage, Burrus says. "I want manufacturers to realize that hard trends turn disruption into a choice." Burrus often invites business Daniel Burrus, an author, futurist and disruptive technology expert, will kick off the Manufacturing First Expo & Conference with his keynote address on anticipatory leadership. He'll share strategies companies can implement to better predict and prepare for disruption. B U R R U S R E S E A R C H , I N C .

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