NEW RULES

FOR A NEW
WORLD
MIKE WALSH
2020
INTRODUCTION

There has never been a more exciting and challenging time to be a 21st century leader. Tomorrow’s
customers, accustomed to real-time, personalized experiences made possible by data, algorithms
and machine-learning, will demand an unprecedented level of product and service. And in order to
meet those expectations, tomorrow’s companies will need to be agile, responsive and driven by the
very same digital DNA as the giants of e-commerce, media and entertainment.
Algorithms and AI are transforming not only business, but every facet of consumer life - from how we
communicate, to the way we shop and entertain ourselves. No traditional organization, defined by
silos, departments and static job titles can meet the scale of that challenge, without a profound
digital transformation. But while many fear that robots will take their jobs, the rise of machine
intelligence begs a more important question: what is the true potential of human leadership in the
21st century?

MIKE WALSH
Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing
companies for the 21st century. A global nomad, futurist and author
of the bestselling book, The Algorithmic Leader, he advises some of
the world’s biggest organizations on digital transformation and
disruptive innovation. Mike’s views have appeared in a wide range of
publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine,
BusinessWeek, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.
THERE IS NO DIGITAL
DISRUPTION, JUST
DIGITAL DELIVERY
RULE #1

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Interactions The 3

Interfaces
Identity } principles of
algorithmic
experience
design

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 THE INSIGHT

The pandemic has accelerated the digital

transformation of the world. In the future, we will
compete on our ability to deliver compelling
algorithmic experiences.
Now is the time to reimagine interactions, redesign
interfaces, and rethink identity.

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NEXT ACTION

Constantly challenge your assumptions about

the future.
Hold a virtual workshop to widen your point of
view.
What can you learn from the youngest members
of your team? How can you better incorporate
their frame of reference into your ideas or
strategy?

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MIND GRENADE
What is a digital customer behavior
that you thought would take another 5
years, that has been accelerated by
the crisis?
How does this impact your timetable
for transformation?

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THERE IS NO REMOTE
WORK, JUST WORK
RULE #2

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MOBILITY The 5 drivers of
distributed work
AUTONOMY It is not where
MEMORY
OBJECTIVITY } we work that is
changing,
it is the how

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 THE INSIGHT

Remote work is just the beginning of a much bigger

revolution that is changing the nature of work itself.
The organizations that embrace the opportunity to
transform themselves in this moment of crisis will
be the ones best positioned for reinvention when we
reach the other side.

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NEXT ACTION

Are you moving fast enough on your digital

transformation?
What are the kinds of activities ideal for
automation; where might humans in
partnership with machine learning
algorithms add the most value, and what are
the kinds of complex issues that agile teams
might be the best approach?

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MIND GRENADE
What is a long held belief or habit in
your organization that you would
love to change - that the right piece
of data could help you challenge?

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ROBOTS ARE NOT
COMING FOR OUR
JOBS, THEY ARE HERE
TO CHANGE THEM
RULE #3

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The algorithmic leader of the
future will need to combine a
deep understanding of
human complexity with a
flair for computational
thinking
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 THE INSIGHT

Leaders are more important than ever in an age of

AI, algorithms and automation - but to survive the
future they will need to evolve and transform.
In this new age, how we lead and train machines is
as important as how we lead and empower our
people.
NEXT ACTION

Start today and plan a new digital learning

curriculum for your distributed workforce.
How can you better equip your leaders with the
skills and capabilities they need to survive and
thrive in an AI-powered future?
M I N D G R E N A D E
How does your leadership style need to
change when there is no one around
you to physically lead anymore?

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The Algorithmic Leader
How to be smart when machines are smarter than you You heard the talk, now read the book!
Discover the 10 principles that every leader needs to
We live in an age of wonder: cars that drive themselves, survive and thrive in the Algorithmic Age. Available
devices that anticipate our needs, and robots capable of now in hardcover, ebook or as an audiobook…
everything from advanced manufacturing to complex
surgery. Welcome to the algorithmic age: an extraordinary
time to be a consumer, a challenging time to be a leader.

Futurist and global nomad Mike Walsh has synthesized

years of research and extensive interviews with some of the
world’s top business leaders, AI pioneers and data scientists
into a set of 10 principles about what it takes to succeed in
the algorithmic age.

The Algorithmic Leader offers a hopeful and practical

guide for leaders of all types, and organizations of all sizes,
to thrive in this era of disruptive technological change. By
applying Walsh’s 10 core principles, readers will be able to
design their own journey of personal transformation,
harness the power of algorithms, and chart a clear path
ahead – for their company, for their team, and for
themselves.
WWW.MIKE-WALSH.COM