Future-Ready Leadership with Ben Hamer, Futurist

About this episode

In this episode of Vistage LIVE, futurist Dr Ben Hamer—recently named the #1 thought leader on the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific—joins Stephanie Christopher for a powerful conversation on what leaders must pay attention to now to stay future-ready.

Ben explores curiosity as the defining capability of high-performing leaders and organisations, explaining why it outperforms any single technical skill in a world marked by volatility and rapid transformation. He breaks down what futurists actually do, how leaders can scan for meaningful signals of change, and why the goal is not prediction—it's preparation.

From the rise of AI agents to demographic transformation, declining workforce participation, and the realities of an ageing and increasingly multicultural population, Ben offers a clear, pragmatic lens on the mega-trends shaping the next decade. He also challenges the efficiency mindset that discourages exploration, and argues that leaders must build foresight into their everyday decision-making.

This episode will reshape how you think about workforce strategy, leadership, and long-term planning—and why the future now demands big, bold, transformative thinking rather than incremental tweaks.

Key Insights:

• Curiosity is the #1 future-ready capability—across people, strategy, discovery and leadership.

• Signals precede trends — leaders should pay attention to the “huh” moments.

• Backcasting beats forecasting when working 10 years into the future.

• Mega-trends beyond AI: demographic shifts, cultural diversity, ageing populations, skill shortages.

• AI will be essential, not a threat — we’ll need it to fill workforce gaps.

• Productivity is a flawed measure in a knowledge economy.

• Generations are a frame, not a solution — it’s about understanding individuals.

• The future of work requires redesigning jobs, not tweaking the old model.