Since the dawn of time, change has proven to be the only constant. In the current digital age, the speed of change has reached a level never seen in the history of the world.
One of my favorite quotes is, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change.” Many have attributed this quote to Darwin, but it was actually coined by Leon Megginson, Professor of Management and Marketing at Louisiana State University.
My life story is one of consistent reinvention. From music to finance to software development to health tech founder to economic development and community leader to board member and advisor. Every new iteration involved drawing on past experience and stepping outside my comfort zone to learn new skills. None of those skills came from traditional education but rather from personal research and lessons learned from many mistakes.
When I speak with students, I emphasize that graduation is not the end but the beginning. If change is the only constant then we must adopt a learning mindset and embrace life as a journey to learn and grow. Another thing I share is that the important skills of tomorrow are problem solving and communication. Survey after survey show these to be the most coveted skills by managers and leaders. The importance of this was never more evident than during the recent global pandemic, when people across the globe were banned from travel and forced to work from home. I watched both hourly workers and corporate CEOs adapt by learning new skills and new ways to operate to survive.
Talent is the currency of the future. As such, the key to tomorrow‘s economic growth is dependent on the availability of skilled workers. Most cities don’t suffer from a shortage of workers but from a shortage of skilled workers. Cities and regions able to overcome this skills gap will prosper while those who don’t will not.
Learning has no age limits. As parents and business leaders, we should encourage those in our charge to become changemakers through experimental and continual learning. As policymakers, educators, and community leaders, we need to focus on helping our adult population gain the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.
There has never been a better time to learn a new skill. Invest in yourself and believe in your ability to succeed.
