Owning the Future

Leadership roles are often defined by the time an individual uses to plan their actions: a worker is concerned with what they have to do for one day, the supervisor will plan next month’s work schedule, while a senior manager is responsible for the department’s yearly budget.

A director will plan three to five years ahead to manage growth or change. The difference comes with ownership of the enterprise. The owner has to be a visionary, a person who is not only looking 20 years into the future to manage growth, but also has a plan to implement the changes that make it a reality.

We are all supervisors, managers, and directors because we are all owners of the enterprise we call our life.  Whenever we look to plan our day, manage our monthly budget, or plan a few years into our future, the distant future is also something we can stop and think about. It’s not just about paying off the mortgage; it’s an opportunity to be a visionary.

So, please…stop reading these words for just a few minutes and think about what you can do, what you can leave behind, and why are you here. Think about why you are reading these words at just this moment in your life.

Some people have fears about the next generation’s opportunities to get a good education, find a career, and make a decent living. None of us want our children to grow up in a world where there is a shortage of goods and services or where they cannot find a rewarding occupation.

Major corporations have fears of a technology and knowledge gap. Will there be enough qualified people to fill the engineering and technology jobs of the future? Will the skills required be taught in our schools and universities? Will there be enough vocational education to teach the needed skill sets, and can those skill sets be validated?

We in the International Fluid Power Society have a shared vision, a collective dream where a large number of individuals from many different occupations come together and work in harmony to ensure a better way of life for the next generation. Our common bond is the world of fluid power, and we are dedicated to a better future.

As an IFPS member, you are a part of that dream. You share ownership in making the future a better place. Every time you talk about the IFPS, wear your IFPS logo, recruit a new member, share an article, or show someone our website, you are acting as a visionary and sharing in that collective dream. Thank you for all you do.

If by some chance of fate you are reading this and are not an IFPS member, we invite you to discover the IFPS and join us in this noble cause.

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