Leading and operating a business can be rewarding and at the same time very challenging. Not adjusting to the new environment or simply being unaware of other possibilities accounts for many business failures. Great organizations are crippled by leaders who refuse to be aware of the new hyper-change world and not choosing to invest in future possibilities.

Too many businesses fail to consciously invest in their futures, instead placing priority on short-term gain.  Short-term success is vitally important, where problems arise is when business leaders are only focusing on the next few weeks or the next 12 months. This means racing from one crisis to the next. These businesses may be placing their success at risk if they only structure their businesses to deal with the immediate present and fail to create strategy for the future.

It is essential to never assume that the future will be an extension of today or be similar to what you currently have. The future...