In a world where change is constant, learning faster than others has become a decisive advantage.
The key is no longer simply to accumulate knowledge, but to transform it into projects and skills that are articulated with the demands of the future. The concept of neuroplasticity, which describes how the brain generates new connections when learning, highlights the importance of practicing and taking time to integrate what is known with what is new to know.
Abraham Lincoln stated that before cutting down a tree, it is necessary to sharpen the ax and dedicate time to the task. In learning, that ax is the brain, and sharpening it involves connecting knowledge with clear objectives. When what we do takes us away from our goals, it is a sign that we lack knowledge or skills. The case of King C. Gillette, who transformed an everyday problem into a multi-million dollar innovation, illustrates how creativity and constant learning generate growth and success.
It is often finding an interesting idea to achieve an objective, through an observation that arises from detecting a problem that others cannot see.
Gillette was a man tired of his job and decided to quit. It had a purpose: “invent a product that would force men to buy it for their entire lives”. His inquisitive gaze discovered many cut faces in the streets. In his time people killed themselves to shave. When he designed an object with a blade and stand, he directed his mind to a specific vision that would bring him fame and money, and his plan allowed him to create the shaving device. His heirs sold the company to the Procter and Gamble group for $60 billion.
What previously ensured the competitiveness of a product or service now becomes obsolete if it is not continually reinvented. Countries like China and Singapore are inspiring examples. China went from producing low-cost items to dominating high-tech markets, while Singapore leads in education and innovation. Its secret lies in learning faster, investing in talent, strategic anticipation and disruptive thinking.
Learning for the future cannot be based solely on data from the past, as artificial intelligence does. To face uncertainty, we need imagination, creativity and critical thinking, human capacities that allow us to improvise and adapt as jazz musicians do. The compasses for the future are these skills, not old maps.
You must develop the ability to anticipate scenarios and incorporate future challenges into today’s decisions.
Science and technology are guided by imagination and reason. Imagination breaks the limits of the possible and with reason, the future is brought to the present.
That is learning from the future. A flight forward rather than the instructions of history is needed to navigate today’s world.
But imagination is not taught nor curiosity encouraged. As valuable as our past is, it is insufficient.
The speed at which the world changes causes uncertainty: what happens today is not like what we have already experienced, which makes it very difficult for us to predict what will happen tomorrow. This means that knowledge of the past is not enough to face the challenges,
To invent the future, the skills required are radically different from those that reign in the educational system and we also know them very well: imagination, creativity, critical and flexible thinking, resilience, flexibility, reflection, collaboration, empathy, proactivity, etc. They are innate capacities that allow us to learn and that we all bring from the factory.
Learning faster than your competitors is essential to staying relevant in any field. If knowledge expires, the ability to learn guarantees your survival and success. What do you know? What do you need to know to move forward? Managing this continuous learning is the true promise of the future in a hyper-connected world.
