Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with some friends about the skills of the future—what we need to develop within ourselves to bring maximum value to the world.
The discussion was so thought-provoking that I wanted to share some key insights from it.
Understanding what these skills are, why they matter, and how to cultivate them is crucial as we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of work and life.
Let’s take a step back in time to understand how the most valuable skills have evolved and why intuition is poised to become the most critical skill of the future.
From Brawn to Brain: The Evolution of Skills
During the agricultural era, the most important skill was brawn—our physical strength and endurance.
Our ability to toil in the soil, understand the seasons, and work long hours on farms allowed us to feed our families and trade surplus goods. Our bodies were our greatest asset.
Then, about 200 years ago, the Industrial Revolution changed everything. Factories replaced physical labor, and our muscles were no longer the primary source of value.
Instead, we had to develop a new skill: IQ, or left-brain, process-driven thinking. Schools became the training ground for logical, analytical thought, essential for maximizing efficiency in production lines.
IQ has been the cornerstone of success for two centuries, driving innovation and productivity in a world dominated by machines and systems.
The Rise of Automation: Why IQ is No Longer Enough
But here’s the thing: just as factories replaced our bodies, artificial intelligence and data are now replacing our intelligence.
Automation thrives on pattern recognition and repetition, which is precisely the logical, process-driven thinking at which IQ excels.
This shift has left many of us wondering: what skill will take the place of IQ in the future?
The answer is intuition.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. Intuition often gets dismissed as some vague, “airy-fairy” concept—something that belongs in the realm of meditation or gut feelings.
But intuition is so much more than that. It’s a skill that combines wisdom, curiosity, imagination, and experimentation.
The Four Pillars of Intuition
Intuition isn’t just a gut feeling; it’s a multifaceted skill that can be developed and refined. Here are the four key components that make up intuition:
1. Wisdom: Cleaning the Slate
Intuition starts with wisdom, which involves healing from past traumas and emotional baggage.
Think about it: if you had a traumatic experience with a black dog as a child, your gut feeling about dogs might be skewed by that memory.
To develop a “clean” intuition, we need to address and heal these past wounds. This allows us to approach the future with clarity and enthusiasm rather than being weighed down by unresolved emotions.
2. Curiosity and Fascination: Following Your Excitement
The second pillar of intuition is curiosity. This means making decisions based on what genuinely excites and fascinates us.
Unfortunately, traditional education doesn’t prioritize this. We’ve been conditioned to follow processes and develop left-brain thinking, often at the expense of our natural curiosity.
But curiosity is a powerful driver of innovation and fulfillment. When we lean into what excites us, we tap into a deeper sense of purpose and creativity.
3. Imagination: Rethinking the Future
Imagination is the third component of intuition, and it’s the antithesis of the absolute certainty that defined the Industrial Revolution.
Back then, outcomes needed to be predictable and efficient. But imagination is about embracing uncertainty and rethinking what’s possible.
It’s about envisioning a future that’s not constrained by past limitations but is instead fueled by wisdom and fascination.
4. Experimentation: Bringing Ideas to Life
Finally, intuition requires experimentation. Imagining a better future is not enough—we must take action to make it a reality.
This means testing our ideas, learning from failures, and iterating until we find what works. Experimentation turns intuition into a tangible skill that can be honed and refined over time.
The Intuitive Cycle: A Path to Growth
Combining these four elements—wisdom, curiosity, imagination, and experimentation—creates a powerful cycle of growth. It looks something like this:
- Heal from the past to develop wisdom.
- Follow your curiosity and fascination to guide your decisions.
- Use your imagination to envision a brighter future.
- Experiment and take action to bring your vision to life.
This cycle isn’t easy to master, especially because it’s not something we’ve been taught. Just as farmers transitioning to the Industrial Revolution likely found IQ bewildering initially, many of us may find intuition unfamiliar and challenging.
But it’s a skill worth developing. The cleaner and more energized our intuition becomes, the more successful we’ll be in navigating the complexities of the future.
Why Intuition is the Skill of the Future
I’ve been practicing this approach for a while now and can attest to its transformative power.
Intuition isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s the skill that will set us apart in a world increasingly dominated by automation and AI.
As we move forward, let’s embrace intuition as the new IQ. Let’s heal our past, follow our curiosity, imagine boldly, and experiment fearlessly.
The future belongs to those who can harness the power of their intuition.
Note: This blog post is an adaptation of the transcript from the video below, which forms part of my video series on AI.
