Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Do you feel that you’re creating the future for yourself and your team? Or are you spending your time just reacting to the crisis of the day? While it’s critical to keep the ship from sinking, we also need to do some work to ensure that we’re steering the ship in the right direction. This requires forward-thinking.
This episode, we’re joined by Coen A. Wijdicks, Ph.D. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical science and an executive MBA with a focus on strategy and leadership. He now serves as the VP of research at Gillette Children’s, where he actively manages more than 100 research studies, many clinical trials, and multisite academic partnerships.
The three big questions we discuss with Dr. Wijdicks are:
1. What is forward-thinking leadership, and why is it essential for leading yourself and your team?
2. Why do so many leaders and teams struggle to think forward in a proactive rather than reactive way?
3. What practical steps can we all take to become more forward-thinking to develop ourselves and our teams?
Learn more about On Human Optimization and access Pod-Club questions at https://ce.mayo.edu/content/mayo-clinic-human-optimization
Instagram: @MayoHumanOptimization
YouTube: On Human Optimization
Email: optimize@mayo.edu
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox, sign-up for free: mayocl.in/3e71zfi
Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books: mcpress.mayoclinic.org/podcasts/?utm_campaign=agingforward&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast
Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at mcppodcasts@mayo.edu.
00:00 What is forward-thinking leadership?
02:42 Forward-thinking leaders vs. operational managers
03:51 Traits of a forward-thinking leader
05:03 Why strategic thinking matters
07:00 The three-horizon framework
08:19 Self-awareness and leadership
11:39 Turning vision into execution
14:48 Why we struggle to think forward
16:27 How clarity improves leadership
17:54 Habits that hold us back
20:16 Understanding status quo bias
22:04 Balancing imagination and discipline
23:39 Getting your team aligned
26:35 How to become a forward-thinking leader
30:23 Strategies for forward-thinking individuals
33:15 Strategies for leading teams
35:54 Creating a culture that embraces failure
37:44 How to measure forward progress
40:13 Key takeaways
42:07 Two challenges to put forward thinking into action
Do you feel that you’re creating the future for yourself and your team? Or are you spending your time just reacting to the crisis of the day? While it’s critical to keep the ship from sinking, we also need to do some work to ensure that we’re steering the ship in the right direction. This requires forward-thinking.
This episode, we’re joined by Coen A. Wijdicks, Ph.D. He holds a Ph.D. in biomedical science and an executive MBA with a focus on strategy and leadership. He now serves as the VP of research at Gillette Children’s, where he actively manages more than 100 research studies, many clinical trials, and multisite academic partnerships.
The three big questions we discuss with Dr. Wijdicks are:
1. What is forward-thinking leadership, and why is it essential for leading yourself and your team?
2. Why do so many leaders and teams struggle to think forward in a proactive rather than reactive way?
3. What practical steps can we all take to become more forward-thinking to develop ourselves and our teams?
Learn more about On Human Optimization and access Pod-Club questions at https://ce.mayo.edu/content/mayo-clinic-human-optimization
Instagram: @MayoHumanOptimization
YouTube: On Human Optimization
Email: optimize@mayo.edu
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox, sign-up for free: mayocl.in/3e71zfi
Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books: mcpress.mayoclinic.org/podcasts/?utm_campaign=agingforward&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast
Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at mcppodcasts@mayo.edu.
00:00 What is forward-thinking leadership?
02:42 Forward-thinking leaders vs. operational managers
03:51 Traits of a forward-thinking leader
05:03 Why strategic thinking matters
07:00 The three-horizon framework
08:19 Self-awareness and leadership
11:39 Turning vision into execution
14:48 Why we struggle to think forward
16:27 How clarity improves leadership
17:54 Habits that hold us back
20:16 Understanding status quo bias
22:04 Balancing imagination and discipline
23:39 Getting your team aligned
26:35 How to become a forward-thinking leader
30:23 Strategies for forward-thinking individuals
33:15 Strategies for leading teams
35:54 Creating a culture that embraces failure
37:44 How to measure forward progress
40:13 Key takeaways
42:07 Two challenges to put forward thinking into action
