Lead Like a Futurist: Navigating Change and Designing the Future with Cecily Sommers

Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.

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Cecily Sommers helps leaders anticipate and steward transformational change. Named one of the world’s "50 Leading Female Futurists" by Forbes, Cecily embeds foresight in leadership development programs, training clients to become their own best futurists.

As the strategist that Google, Salesforce, Purina, and JP Morgan Chase turn to make sense of their future, Cecily guides organizations through critical questions such as "Which opportunities give us the most advantage?” and “How do we develop change-ready leaders?”

A two-time TEDx speaker and frequent keynote presenter at conferences, Cecily has been described as “catalytic and brilliant” for making complex issues simple and relatable. Dedicated to advancing change literacy in organizations, she created the “Lead Like a Futurist” program and is a certified Transformational Coach.

A Few Quotes From This Episode

• “Leaders and futurists occupy the same position—if you’re leading, you’re already at the edge, looking into the foggy distance to see which direction to go.”
• “The future is not figureoutable—it’s only followable. And what futurists do is study change, its forces, and its patterns.”
• “We zoom out to see what matters and how things work so that, when we zoom back in, we know how to materialize what truly matters.”
• “Sometimes leaders think they need more time, but often what they really need is more space—space to reflect, sense, and align with what’s unfolding.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Think Like a Futurist by Cecily Sommers
• The Fourth Turning Is Here by Neil Howe
• Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail by Ray Dalio

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders
• Blog

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

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Chapters

1. Lead Like a Futurist (00:00:00)

2. Navigating Change (00:19:40)

3. Designing Future Solutions Through Strategic Thinking (00:26:50)