Future-Proof Leadership Program

COURSE OVERVIEW

The program will empower organizations, leaders and individuals to better understand the past, improve decision-making in the present and embrace the preferred future in an accelerated and unpredictable world. This program is designed to improve managers’ skill sets and provide them with toolbox in strategic foresight, design, innovation and transformation in the digital age.
The program aims to provide participants with tools that allow them to improve their skills and help their organization achieve a strong and sustainable position, prepare for new challenges, be proactive in facing new opportunities, and design future-based policies and programs.
Participants will have first-hand access to the “SCANNING, SENSING AND ACTING” Framework, used to anticipate the future and build innovative strategies to solve strategic challenges.

Facilitator

Paulo Soeiro de Carvalho is an expert in Foresight, Strategy and Innovation, with more than 20 years of experience in public and private organizations, working in several consulting projects, and also developing teaching, training and research activities in those fields.

After years of professional experience in the areas of Strategic Foresight, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in 2019 he created “IF Insight & Foresight”, a consulting studio that combines Foresight, Strategy and Innovation to create added value and distinctive experiences for organizations and professionals.

Expert and consultant for the World Economic Forum, European Commission, Joint Research Center and European Environmental Agency in the areas of Strategic Foresight and Innovation.
Over the last 15 years has been carrying out multiple research and academic activities, including the Coordination of Master, Post Graduation and Executive Programs in the areas of Foresight, Strategy and Innovation at Lisbon University. From 2020 to 2023 he was the Executive Director of the Lisbon University Executive MBA.

PhD in Management Sciences from the Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 with a Thesis on Scenario Planning, Weak Signals and Competitive Intelligence.

Paulo’s portfolio includes work with the following organisations:
Companies: Daimler; Volkswagen; Zurich; Ranstadt; Bosch ; EDP – Energias de Portugal; GALP; Sonae; Novabase; Siemens; Brisa; FIAT Brasil.

Government and Nonprofits: World Economic Forum; European Commission DG R&I, European Environmental Agency; Dubai Future Foundation; Startup Lisboa; Portugal Global – Trade & Investment Agency; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; National Defense Institute (Portugal)

Pre-requisites

Date

Time

Location

Target audience

Language

FEES

COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1

Strategic Foresight & Innovation
Scenario Planning & Strategy for the Future
Future-Proof Organizations & Leaders

Day 2

Scanning, Sensing & Acting – A Strategic Framework
Scenario Planning Lab: A Deep Dive into the Future

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, the participant will be able to:

Preparing organizations to think and act in times of uncertainty and exponential change.
Equipping participants with advanced tools and methodologies to:
• Anticipate future trends.
• Analyze emerging opportunities.
• Develop robust strategic plans and innovation roadmaps.
Assessing and improving participants’ individual Future-proof leader profiles, focusing on adaptive, authentic, and agile leadership skills.
Designing future-proof strategies resilient to exponential change and disruption.
Implementing processes to improve present decision-making and embrace preferred futures.
Designing strategic roadmaps fostering consistent innovation and actionable visions for the future.
Applying learning through practical projects, real-world scanning, deep dives, and scenario planning.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the participant will be able to:

Anticipate and prepare for future challenges and opportunities.
Conduct foresight analysis and interpret implications of emerging trends.
Develop robust strategies addressing potential future scenarios.
Improve their organizations’ decision-making frameworks.
Engage in innovation and create future-based policies and programs.
Apply scanning, intelligence, scenario planning, and strategic transformation tools in their organizations.
Foster a future-oriented and resilient organizational vision.
Build strategies and roadmaps aligned with megatrends, weak signals, and critical uncertainties.

AGENDA

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 1

Time	Sessions
9:00 – 9:30	WELCOME & OPENING RESOURCES: BIBLIOGRAPHY, WEBSITES, PODCASTS, PLAYBOOK
9:30 – 10:00	BASIC CONCEPTS OF STRATEGIC FORESIGHT •The Future as a Space of Possibilities •Global Forces & Megatrends •Weak Signals and Early Warnings •Wild Cards & Black Swans •Risks and Critical Uncertainties
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee break
10:30 – 11:30	SCENARIO PLANNING •What are Scenarios? Why, when and how to use Scenarios? •Scenarios as Stories and Narratives for the Future •What is the link between strategy, strategic vision and scenarios?
11:30 – 12:30	MASTERING A STRATEGIC INNOVATION FRAMEWORK •Learn how to design new strategies and plan for the future •Manage a portfolio of projects and Initiatives •Design and Monitor Strategic Roadmaps for the Future
12:30 – 13:15	Lunch break
13:15 – 14:00	SKILLS AND MINDSET OF A FUTURIST •Mastering the Skills of a Futurist •Foresight needs Strategy, Innovation, and an Entrepreneurial Mindset
14:00 – 14:30	SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ORGANISATIONS AND LEADERS OF THE FUTURE •The Foundations: Purpose, Ethics and Values •10 Critical Skills for the Leaders of the Future
14:30 – 14:45	Coffee break
14:45 – 15:30	LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK EXPLORATION
15:30 – 16:00	RECAP AND CLOSE

DAY 2

Time	Sessions
9:00 – 9:30	RECAP PREVIOUS DAY AND QUESTIONS
9:30 – 10:30	SCANNING, SENSING & ACTING – A FUTURES FRAMEWORK Participants will use the framework Scanning, Sensing & Acting in the development of the projects integrated into this program. This framework is more than a method or a tool — it’s a mindset. It’s about nurturing agility, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and above all, allowing organizations and leaders not just to survive, but to thrive in a fast changing and uncertain future.
10:30 – 10:45	Coffee break
10:45 – 12:30	SCENARIO PLANNING LAB: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FUTURE (Part 1) Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Scenario planning project using our proprietary Futures Framework “SCANNING, SENSING & ACTING”. From the definition of the Strategic Focus & Time Horizon, going through the different Scanning stages and the construction of a “Scanning Dashboard”, we will identify and explore Megatrends, Trends, Weak Signals, Wildcards & Critical Uncertainties.
12:30 – 13:15	Lunch break
13:15 – 15:00	SCENARIO PLANNING LAB: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FUTURE (Part 2) At this stage participants will be able learn how to design a fit-for-purpose Scenario Planning project and then prepare for action, which includes exploring and probing Strategic Options, co-create a new vision for the future, (re)design policies and programs or engage in an innovation process. (Includes Coffee Break)
15:00 – 15:45	Presentation and Exploration of Scenarios
15:45 – 16:00	RECAP AND CLOSE