During a recent trip to South America, I had the opportunity to discuss the future of markets, the global economy, and how to navigate emerging opportunities and challenges with corporate leaders and mid-career professionals. The common theme was upskilling, shifting demographics in the workforce, and an emerging generation of leaders that seem to be touching almost every sector around the world.
Upskilling emerging and mid-career leaders is needed now more than ever to drive innovation and guide organizations and institutions into the future. As expectations, markets, and demanded skills change, it is imperative that we self-assess, understand, and intentionally act to better align with the skills that will be needed tomorrow. Where can you get these skills? Where is the “skills store?” How do you hone the skills you, your colleagues, your friends, and your children will need to not just survive, but thrive in an ever-changing, highly interdependent, competitive, and uncertain world?
Throughout my career, when I think about workforce development and future skills questions, I often turn to The World Economic Forum (WEF), and the relatively recent Reskilling Revolution project states that over 1billion workers will need upskilling sooner than we all might think.
As they have accurately done for years, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report provides insights into what skills will be needed in the future. These are carefully crafted based on survey instruments administered to over 1,000 companies and experts around the world. The Core Skills needed for tomorrow (2030) are:
- Analytical Thinking
- Leadership and Social Influence
- Motivation and self-awareness
- Systems thinking
- Talent management
- Curiosity and lifelong learning
- AI and Big Data
- Technological Literacy
- Creative Thinking
- Resilience, Flexibility and Agility
This well-researched list has been widely publicized and discussed and offers a view of what skills will be needed in the future. This list, along with my recent international discussions, led me to this thought, Executives and Mid-career professionals in every sector, including government, non-profit, private, healthcare, education, manufacturing, farming, service, etc. recognize that new skills are needed and life-long learning is critical for organizational growth as well as for professional growth and sustainability.
Considering the list of skills, I thought that a Business School would be very well positioned to provide the exact skills projected by the World Economic Forum. As a Dean of Business, I would argue, based on alignment, applicability, affordability, accessibility and quality, Acacia University School of Business could be one of the most appropriate “one stop shops” for mid-career professionals and leaders, globally, to acquire the Core Skills of the Future.
Analytical thinking is central to the School of Business at Acacia University. We know how to develop these skills as our students analyze and study cases to build up those analytical muscles. As a global institution of higher education, long ago, we embraced new technology and developed the technology literacy and creative thinking skills needed now more than ever. We foster a culture of curiosity and give our students the platform to demonstrate their profound commitment to lifelong learning through our master’s and doctoral programs. We do this no more so than in the MBA and DBA programs that are offered fully online, taught by high quality, experienced, credentialed faculty that lead courses that are engaging, rigorous, relevant, and affordable (please do not think you will need to sacrifice your children’s higher education so you can upskill for your career).
Our DBA program is designed for influential leaders who already have an MBA and will give the savvy professional the opportunity to focus on their sector as they lead, create, innovate, and grow ethical and sustainable organizations. The Business School provides one of the best forums for mid-career leaders to more fully develop and showcase their flexibility, resilience and agility skills. Acacia business students will experience courses to develop stronger systems thinking skills, and through action research courses and market-aligned elective courses, students will enhance their big data, AI, and human resources/talent management skill set.
Most things begin with a conversation, often a conversation with people from other places and with different ideas, and those lead to questions. All of that brought me back to something I have known professionally for a long time, the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum‘s 2030 Skills of the Future List reminded me that with so much at stake around the world at this “quarter-century” marker, shouldn’t we all consider what skills we have, how they align with what will be needed, and how we will upskill to innovate, grow, and lead our organizations forward. We know what skills we need, and I know a place that will help you develop those skills today, for tomorrow.
