San Francisco's 181 Fremont building stands as a beacon of innovative thinking. Its eye-catching exoskeleton and state-of-the-art damping system aren't designed to merely withstand the next big shake—they represent a paradigm shift in urban resilience.
The 802-foot tower is the world's first high-rise with a REDi Gold rating [1]; specifically engineered to remain functional in a natural disaster aftermath, allowing occupants to re-enter and resume life while other structures may still be reeling.
The forward-thinking approach to 181 Fremont with its focus on long-term human-centered outcomes serves as a powerful metaphor for the kind of leadership required in our times. In an era where disruptions—from pandemics to climate change to digital revolution—are as certain as another San Francisco earthquake, how can organizations do more than just weather the storm?
How can we take the innovative thinking of initiatives such as resilience-based earthquake design and apply it to the kind of leadership that is needed to allow our organizations to not just survive, but thrive now and in the future?
Future-Based Thinking: Beyond Prediction and Preparation
The answer lies in adopting a transformative approach: future-based thinking [2]. This concept, exemplified by the visionary design of 181 Fremont, goes beyond mere futuring (systematically envisioning potential futures) or futureproofing (anticipating and mitigating future shocks). Instead, future-based thinking goes beyond prediction or preparation. It's about creating a vision of the future that inspires action in the present.
This kind of thinking doesn't just ask, "How can we survive what's coming?" Instead, it poses questions like: "What kind of future do we want to create? How can we design our organizations, our cities, our societies to help people thrive, not just today, but in the face of whatever challenges tomorrow may bring?"
The 181 Fremont building embodies this principle in concrete and steel. But perhaps the real power of future-based thinking lies in its ability to reshape our organizations, our leadership styles, and ultimately, our world.
Two Futures: Transformative Language in Action
Just five miles from 181 Fremont, an art installation in Golden Gate Park brilliantly illustrates this future-based thinking. Two Possible Californias invites visitors to explore divergent paths for the state—one where California has invested in nature, and another that leaves nature behind. As visitors stroll through the exhibit, they encounter paired milestones from these alternate futures [3].
- In one scenario, by 2036 the last remaining North Coast kelp forest has disappeared. In the other, kelp restoration protects hundreds of ocean species and fisheries are recovered.
- In one version of 2051, the Zephyr fire destroys 3,000,000 acres around Lake Tahoe. Or, we can step into a 2051 where Lake Tahoe forest is restored by controlled burns.
- By 2055 in one possible California, salmon are declared extinct. In the alternate timeline, California salmon thrive thanks to statewide river restoration.
This stark juxtaposition doesn't just present possible futures—it compels visitors to consider their role in shaping that future. The exhibit concludes with a powerful question: "Which future will you choose?" Prominently displayed QR codes offer pathways for visitors to learn more and take committed action.
The Power of Future-Based Language in Leadership
What's particularly striking about the Two Possible Californias exhibit is the language it uses. It doesn't merely describe potential outcomes; it creates distinct realities.
Moreover, the language is declarative and present tense, as if these futures are already here in the moment. "Salmon are extinct" versus "Salmon thrive." According to a key principle in The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life, "future-based language transforms how situations occur to people" [4].
By speaking about potential futures as if they are present realities, the exhibit creates a visceral sense of those futures. It allows visitors to step into and experience these possibilities. The contrasting narratives don't just inform—they transform how visitors perceive California's future.
Language used in this way generates new possibilities. It's a prime example of 'future-based language,' a powerful tool that leaders can use to reshape organizational reality. By framing the future in terms of choice and action, the exhibit does more than educate—it empowers. It shifts the conversation from passive prediction to active creation.
Perhaps this is the essence of leadership for our times: the ability to use generative language that inspires and mobilizes people towards a created future. Instead of merely reacting to change or attempting to predict it, leaders can use future-based language to author new realities for their organizations.
Collaborative Authorship of the Future
Taking it a step further, effective leaders in our era of rapid change understand that creating the future is not a solo act but a collaborative process. They harness future-based language to inspire and empower their teams to envision and pioneer new possibilities. Google's "20% time" policy serves as a widely cited example—with good reason—of how this approach can transform organizational dynamics.
Google's "20% time" initiative wasn't just about fostering innovation—it was about collaboratively authoring the future. By empowering employees with the freedom to “create the next big thing," Google’s leadership used future-based language to reshape how their staff viewed their roles. Suddenly, every employee wasn't merely a worker but a potential architect of the company's destiny.
This approach catalyzed the development of Gmail and Google Maps, products that not only shaped Google's trajectory but also revolutionized how millions worldwide navigate their daily lives [5]. The directive—"20% of your time is for the future"—established an environment where innovation wasn't merely encouraged but expected.
By engaging team members across all levels in envisioning and shaping the organization's future, leaders tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives and ideas. This collaborative approach to "authoring" the future not only drives innovative solutions but also cultivates a profound sense of ownership and commitment among team members.
Reimagining the Future: 181 Fremont Revisited
Revisiting 181 Fremont through the lens of future-based language and collaborative leadership reveals insights for cultivating resilient organizations. Just as the building's design ensures rapid bounce-back after a disaster, visionary leadership creates teams that thrive amid challenges.
As Morra Aarons-Mele, founder of Women Online, aptly puts it, "Leaders in the era of digital transformation and rapid change need to adopt an approach that fosters collaboration and encourages innovation. Real leaders will be human, above all. They will be vulnerable, authentic, and skilled in building an environment that brings their teams through tough times and enables growth." [6].
To cultivate such an environment, leaders can:
- Use future-based language to create vivid, inspiring visions of what's possible.
- Frame the future in terms of choices that propel action, empowering teams to actively create rather than passively predict.
- Create a culture of collaborative authorship where every team member contributes to shaping and bringing the organization's future to life.
By embracing these practices, leaders can transform their organizations into dynamic entities capable of turning challenges into catalysts for growth and innovation.
References
[1] NOVA. (2022). High-Rise, High Risk [Television series episode]. PBS.
[2] Smith, S., & Ashby, M. (2020). How to Future: Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange. Kogan Page.
[3] The Nature Conservancy. (2023). Two Future Californias. Retrieved from https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/california/stories-in-california/staff-stories/
[4] Zaffron, S., & Logan, D. (2009). The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life. Jossey-Bass.
[5] Google. (2006, May 19). Google's "20 percent time" in action. Google Official Blog. https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/googles-20-percent-time-in-action.html
[6] Skillsoft. (2021.). What's Next? A Look Ahead at Leadership Development. Skillsoft.
