Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4dDbMuy

Lisa shares insights from her 20+ years in scenario planning and design, reflecting on the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it highlighted the critical need for imagination, empathy, and long-term thinking in leadership. She discusses the value of futures thinking in education and business, emphasizing how anticipatory leadership, scenario planning, and rapid prototyping can help organizations build resilience and stay ahead of disruption.

Whether you're leading a team, crafting customer experiences, or shaping strategic decisions, this episode will inspire you to stretch your thinking, foster creativity, and embrace your role as a designer of the future.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Why the pandemic marked a turning point in how leaders perceive uncertainty

How imagination is an underdeveloped but essential leadership skill

Practical tools like futures wheels and scenario planning to anticipate change

The role of design and prototyping in shaping strategic foresight

How to nurture a culture that values long-term thinking and experimentation

Why attention is the new currency in the battle for meaningful innovation

Resources & Links:

Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakaysolomon/

Jason Giles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygiles/

Leading like a Futurist course on LinkedIn Learning https://www.linkedin.com/learning/leading-like-a-futurist/you-are-a-futurist

Harvard Business Review: 5 Pandemic-Era Lessons on Leading Through Change https://hbr.org/2025/03/5-pandemic-era-lessons-on-leading-through-drastic-change?ab=HP-hero-latest-1

Stanford d.school profile: https://dschool.stanford.edu/directory/lisa-kay-solomon

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast