Are your feet on the ground or is your head in the clouds? : Why it is important to focus on both the near and distant future

Purpose – Highlights the importance of looking at both the near and distant future. Design/methodology/approach – Observes that different kinds of people treat and use the future differently and considers how to use the more useful elements of the future. Findings – Charts the approaches taken towards the future by the dreamer, the realist, the business planner and the host and outlines the advantages of leading like a host. Practical implications – Considers how host views the horizon, the area just before the horizon, the future and the very near future. Social implications – Accepts that we do not fully know what is going to happen in the future, but that does not mean people should focus only on the near (and therefore most “knowable”) future. Originality/value – Advances the view that having a good idea of the first signs of progress can be particularly useful in cases where the next steps are not obvious or seem tough or uncertain – rapid feedback will be useful in letting us know that what we are doing.