Article
Futurist Podcast: The Future of Leadership in VUCA-MAX times with Maureen Metcalfe
In this podcast Futurist Matthew Griffin explores how today's increasingly complex and disruptive world is changing how leaders think about the future and their organisations, and discusses the mindset and strategies they can use to navigate this complex world successfully.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2024) 'Futurist Podcast: The Future of Leadership in VUCA-MAX times with Maureen Metcalfe', 311 Institute, 17 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/futurist-podcast-the-future-of-leadership-in-vuca-max-times/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to Maureen Metcalf and the team at the Future Innovative Leadership Institute for asking me to join them on a podcast to discuss the future of leadership in a VUCA-MAX world where nothing stays the same, where everything is getting faster and more complex, and where sci-fi is increasingly sci-fact.
Today we’re seeing the CEO’s of major corporations burn out faster than ever before, with the average tenure falling from just over 10 years to just 5 in the past decade, and surveys show that CEO’s control just 45% of what happens to their companies – such as talent hiring and retention, product development and R&D, and so forth – with the remaining 55% coming from external trends and factors.
The Future of Leadership in VUCA-MAX Times, with Futurist Matthew Griffin
And, against the backdrop of the emergence of hundreds of technologies and trends it’s unsurprising that many leaders today feel over whelmed by everything, as well as find it increasingly difficult to see it all, understand it all, and plan for what could – or could not – be coming to prop up or destroy their companies prosperity.
During the podcast we covered all manner of topics, great and small, explored the future, discussed the importance of future ready mindsets, and discussed what leaders and their teams can do today to prepare themselves and their companies for what’s coming tomorrow.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
In this podcast Futurist Matthew Griffin explores how today's increasingly complex and disruptive world is changing how leaders think about the future and their organisations, and discusses the mindset and strategies they can use to navigate this complex world successfully.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on articles and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 17 April 2024. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2024). Futurist Podcast: The Future of Leadership in VUCA-MAX times with Maureen Metcalfe. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/futurist-podcast-the-future-of-leadership-in-vuca-max-times/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.