Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead book cover

Anticipate Summary

The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead

Rob-Jan de Jong
3.7(61 Reviews)

Anticipate Summary Overview

Discover how to see beyond the horizon with "Anticipate" - the visionary leadership guide endorsed by Unilever's Paul Polman. Master Rob-Jan de Jong's trademarked FuturePriming process to spot trends before competitors and transform uncertainty into your greatest competitive advantage.

Key Themes in the Anticipate Summary

  • strategic foresight
  • future-oriented thinking
  • overcoming short-termism
  • visionary communication
  • imagination in business

Best Quotes from the Anticipate Summary

  • Vision's greatest enemy is short-termism.

  • Where there is no vision, there is no hope.

  • Vision is fundamentally future-oriented.

  • Vision combines guidance and emotional engagement.

  • Imagination forms the foundation of visionary leadership.

Characters in the Anticipate Summary

  • Rob-Jan de JongAuthor and leadership expert
  • Paul PolmanFormer CEO of Unilever focused on sustainability
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-MaktoumLeader who transformed Dubai into a financial hub
  • Ingvar KampradFounder of IKEA who reimagined the furniture industry

About the Author

About the Author of Anticipate

Rob-Jan de Jong, author of Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead, is a behavioral strategist and globally recognized expert in visionary leadership. He is a lecturer at Wharton Business School, Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Nyenrode Business University. De Jong blends strategy with psychology to help leaders anticipate change and inspire action.

His book, a staple in executive education programs, explores fostering foresight, adaptability, and transformative communication—themes rooted in his two-decade career advising Fortune 500 companies.

De Jong founded the Global Academy for Strategy and Leadership to democratize leadership insights and hosts talks featured on TEDx and industry podcasts. His forthcoming book, The Foundations of Modern Strategic Thinking (2025), expands on psychological resilience in decision-making. Anticipate was named a Barnes & Noble Management Book of the Month and has been translated into 12 languages, endorsed by Unilever’s former CEO Paul Polman as “essential for navigating disruption.”

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