{"id":7504,"date":"2024-11-15T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T15:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/?p=7504"},"modified":"2024-11-15T16:05:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T15:05:00","slug":"the-value-of-forward-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/the-value-of-forward-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Forward-Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

On Thursday (November 21, 2024), I was honored with a lovely award from the \u201cForward Thinker Initiative 2024\u201d by Handelsblatt and BCG: \u201cForward Thinker in the Category of Innovation.\u201d This made me very happy because it shows that forward thinkers are (once again) being recognized in Germany. The award ceremony triggered many thoughts in me about forward-thinking, which I\u2019d like to share with you here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Germany, we love titles like Professor, Doctor, Engineer. Mouthfuls that end with \u201c-ship\u201d or \u201c-ology\u201d impress us. But \u201cForward Thinker\u201d? That sounds suspiciously like someone who doesn\u2019t live in the here and now and gets lost in daydreams. Yet, upon closer look, the term is a huge compliment. Wanting to be a forward thinker describes a high aspiration. Those who think ahead don\u2019t just see what is but recognize what\u2019s coming\u2014and more importantly, what could come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forward thinkers are a rare breed. They go where no one has gone before and shine a light into the dark corners of the future so the rest of us can find the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s where it gets tricky: thinking ahead means taking risks, making mistakes, and above all, it means making yourself unpopular\u2014because you might point out issues before they\u2019re even visible. That\u2019s why forward thinkers have such a hard time in politics. But more on that in a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art of Thinking Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike reacting, forward-thinking is an active discipline. A forward thinker doesn\u2019t wait to think about an umbrella until it\u2019s raining cats and dogs. Even if the weather report predicts clear skies, they\u2019ll look up, watch the clouds and wind, and compare what they see with their experience. And then, dressed for the occasion, they even have an extra umbrella for others. Forward thinkers do look for solutions to potential problems\u2014but more importantly, they aim to prevent problems from arising in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the theory. But nowadays, we face quite a few concrete, pressing challenges precisely because we forgot how to think ahead a long time ago. Take the German pension system as an example. It relies on the working population financing the pensions of the older generation. Sounds simple and works well\u2014as long as the birth rate is high, the population is growing, and the economy is booming. But by the 1990s at the latest, it should have been clear that we\u2019re an aging society. Back then, a bold forward thinker would have proposed ways to fundamentally change the system to make it future-proof. Instead, we heard, \u201cPensions are safe,\u201d and a few superficial tweaks were made that weren\u2019t sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even today, we\u2019re witnessing a lack of forward-thinking in European politics as a whole. Yes, we might not like to hear this, but that doesn\u2019t make it any less true: hardly any German or European politician thought through the scenario of a Donald Trump election victory. Otherwise, some things might have been phrased a bit more diplomatically over the past months and years. Now we\u2019re in a situation where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n is one of the very few in the EU who can credibly and amicably extend a hand to Trump. Almost the entire German political landscape has repeatedly positioned itself toward Trump in a personal and unobjective manner, which isn\u2019t exactly helpful for fostering a good relationship with the new administration. And don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m no fan of Trump. But that\u2019s not the point. I\u2019m a fan of democracy! With our disrespect toward a presidential candidate, we ultimately showed disrespect to the roughly 80 million voters who gave Trump their vote in a democratic election of a sovereign country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Not Just About Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it would be unfair to point the finger only at politics. In the Trump example just mentioned, businesses and media weren\u2019t very forward-thinking either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And especially in business, we find it particularly hard to think ahead where current success is greatest\u2014or was. The German automotive industry is a prime example. For decades, we were the undisputed world champions of the combustion engine. Then came the shock: Tesla appeared and showed\u2014though their cars weren\u2019t technically perfect\u2014how to make electric mobility sexy and marketable. The German industry initially reacted with skepticism and rejection, sometimes even mockery. Later, forced by circumstances, they launched half-hearted initiatives. The result? A market we could have shaped was missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example is the development of trade relations with China. For a long time, the Chinese market was a growth guarantee. German cars were considered status symbols there. But today, Chinese car brands are massively catching up, supported by their government and focusing on e-mobility. But this wasn\u2019t surprising. A forward thinker would have foreseen\u2014looking at history\u2014that this market in China would also develop its own self-confidence. Just like the textile and later the electronics industry did. We always hoped China and other Asian countries would forever play their double role as low-wage producers and sales markets. But who wants to play the same role their whole life? Especially when they realize they could be so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forward-Thinking Is Unpopular<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why do so many leaders shy away from taking the responsibility of forward-thinking seriously? My theory: forward-thinking is rarely rewarded in the present. A smart decision that bears fruit only in 20 years looks like an unnecessary risk today. The results of forward-thinking remain invisible for the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who act in time prevent problems. But problems that don\u2019t occur don\u2019t get any attention. And without attention, you can\u2019t climb the ladder in politics or business. Imagine a company had decided 15 years ago to invest massively in robotics. Today, it could be a leader in humanoid robotics\u2014a technology that will open up huge markets in the coming decades. But 15 years ago, that would have been dismissed as an expensive \u201cnice-to-have\u201d and left to institutional research. Just a pipe dream. It\u2019s Never Too Late to Start Thinking Ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where could we think ahead today? An exciting field is cognitive robotics\u2014and I don\u2019t just mean robotic arms in factories, but also humanoid robots capable of solving complex tasks and interacting with humans to support areas like care, education, or logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers speak for themselves: a recent study estimates that the global robotics industry could reach a market value of over 200 billion euros by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sounds huge here is, in truth, another example of lacking forward-thinking. Because when you consider that China alone plans to build over 30 million humanoid robots by 2030\u2014which would have a sales value of about 1.4 trillion euros in Europe by today\u2019s standards\u2014the initial estimate is already far exceeded. And any forward thinker can deduce without further numbers: this market will be much larger than anything we\u2019ve ever seen. Because if China alone is setting such a pace, the entire West will have to measure up and keep up to avoid ending up as an unproductive industrial museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Germany, this technology could not only create new jobs but also solve existing challenges. Take the pension system: if humanoid robots increasingly take over productive work, they could contribute to the pension funds. After all, companies save a lot of money through robotics and increase their efficiency. That could be a starting point in the interest of the community. Perhaps an unpopular decision for some entrepreneurs, but one that has the potential to secure long-term peace in our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion: Forward Thinkers Wanted<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Political and economic decision-makers bear immense responsibility today. Their salaries and bonuses reflect the expectation not just to manage but to actively shape the future. Those who only explain why things went wrong haven\u2019t grasped the essence of their job. It\u2019s about avoiding problems before they arise. Yes, forward-thinking requires courage. It means making decisions that aren\u2019t always popular. But that\u2019s exactly where the opportunity lies: those who bravely forge ahead today can not only overcome challenges but also become role models for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future doesn\u2019t wait. It takes shape while we speak\u2014or while we stay silent. The difference lies in whether we actively shape it or let it steamroll us later. Forward-thinking isn\u2019t an option; it\u2019s a duty. For companies, for governments, for each of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me personally, being called a \u201cforward thinker\u201d isn\u2019t a burden but an honor. As Oscar Wilde so aptly put it: \u201cThe future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do so many leaders shy away from taking the responsibility of forward-thinking seriously? I have a theory. Forward thinkers are a rare breed. They go where no one has gone before and shine a light into the dark corners of the future so the rest of us can find the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":7227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[127,130,42,217,46],"tags":[146,162,167,183,210,190,191,157,189,67],"class_list":["post-7504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-founding-era","category-future","category-personal","category-robots","category-thoughts-2","tag-david-reger","tag-handelsblatt","tag-initiative","tag-robotic-2","tag-robotics","tag-think-ahead","tag-think-ahead-2","tag-thoughts","tag-vision","tag-vordenken"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Value of Forward-Thinking - David Reger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"David Reger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/the-value-of-forward-thinking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Value of Forward-Thinking - 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