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Joel Barker is an independent scholar and futurist. Because he was the first person to popularize the concept of paradigm shifts, he is known around the world as the "Paradigm Man." He began his work in 1975 and pioneered the concept of paradigm shifts to explain profound change and the importance of vision to drive change within organizations. The prestigious Library Journal listed his book, Future Edge, published in 1992, as one of the most influential business books of that year. His new book, Five Regions of the Future, with co-author, Dr. Scott Erickson, was released in June 2005.
Most of us know Joel Barker from his extraordinary videos on the future. They have been translated into 16 languages and have been international best sellers for more than a decade. His most recent videos, "The New Business of Paradigms and Wealth", "Innovation & Diversity: Putting Our Differences to Work in the 21st Century", have joined the others on the best sellers list, as well. Joel Barker has worked with both for profit and nonprofit organizations all over the world, as well as with nations, including Singapore, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico and Peru.
Currently, he is on the Advisory Board of the Global Futures Forum, a European nonprofit organization located in London. His honors include an honorary Doctorate in Visionary Leadership from St. Mary's University and the Excellence in Education Award given to him by the international education association, Pi Lambda Theta, for his part in supporting educational innovation. He is the recipient of the 2004 Larry Wilson Award, which is presented annually by the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development Department to an outstanding educator who has demonstrated excellence in educational achievement outside the traditional school environment. Joel Barker is on the advisory board of the Global Futures Forum and senior advisor to the Royal Institution World Science Assembly and for Collective IQ, Inc.
Barker also developed The Implications Wheel software system for identifying long term consequences, including the dreaded unintended consequences. Formerly, Director of the Futures Studies Department of the Science Museum of Minnesota from 1974 to 1978, he has spoken to more than one million people around the world. His two most quoted phrases: "You can and should shape your own future; because if you don't someone else surely will." And for leaders, "No one will thank you for taking care of the present, if you have neglected the future."
Most Requested Topics:
Leadership, the Future, & Paradigms: What is the most crucial role of leaders? The answer to this question is directly connected to the leader's primary task which is to FIND THE FUTURE. Why is this the first task? Because that is where leaders lead to. In order to find the future, leaders must understand the four key principles of paradigm shifts because paradigm shifts radically alter the direction of the future. Without this knowledge, leaders will be blind to the most fundamental kind of change there is - the creation of a new way to solve problems. Examples from past leaders, both successful and unsuccessful. Shift Your Thinking - Shape Your Future: The world has been turned upside down repeatedly by a phenomenon of change know as the paradigm shift. Joel Barker has studied these changes for more than 20 years and can show your managers, your sales team, your engineers, your researchers, your manufacturing team why they need to know about paradigm shifts and how to use them to their own advantage. Barker has traveled all over the world filming new paradigms and collecting evidence of their power to fundamentally change everything from the marketplace to nations. Even though the scope of the idea is very large, Barker's audiences have also found the paradigm shift discussion relevant for their personal lives as they work to shape their own futures. Wealth, Innovation, & Diversity: What are the connections between these three words? Joel Barker can show you how they are tied together and what it means for the health and wealth of corporations and communities. Too many organizations see the access to wealth through clever financial manipulation. But, research has shown that New Wealth can only be created through innovation. So what is the source of innovation which, in turn, is the source of new wealth? The answer links together science, economics, culture and common sense with solid examples. This presentation will make you see the world in a different and richer way. Riding the Paradigm Curve: The paradigm curve describes the life span of a paradigm. To be able to anticipate paradigm shift change - the most powerful kind of change there is - you need to understand the curve. Where are you on the curve? where is your competitor? Where are you customers? And how do you get off the old curve and onto the new curve? These questions will be answered by Joel Barker, "the paradigm man," who has been studying these questions for more than 20 years. Getting Ready for the 21st Century: Joel Barker was one of the first to talk to corporate America about having a vision of the future. In this speech he gives you the latest information from: Polak, who studied nations and vision; Singer, who studied children and vision; Frankl, who studied adults and vision; Seligman, who created ways of measuring and changing attitudes toward the future; Jim Collins, who studied corporations and vision. Joel integrates their findings into some simple measures for your company or your community. After this speech, you will want to have a vision of your own future. Paradigm Pioneering: The role of the paradigm pioneer is both crucial to the development of new ideas and the highest leverage role an organization can take. The Japanese have come to dominate the world of applied technology in many arenas - automobiles. electronics, computer chips - because they are such good paradigm pioneers. Curving Your Way To The Future: How do paradigm shifts, Complex Systems, and diversity all fit together? Joel Barker has been examining these questions and using the work of Nobel Prize winner Ilya Prigogine, systems thinker George Land and his own work on paradigms, he has found an important and useful set of connections which can help leaders make better decisions about the future. It also explains much of what has been happening the past decade in the world. |
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