The playbook for upgrading your future

Work as we know it is coming to an end. Instead of switching on our computers in the morning and dutifully grinding through an assigned to-do list, we will increasingly choose the projects we commit to. We will become curators of the work we do.

Hierarchies, too, are beginning to shift. Young graduates or trainees fresh out of education may soon outpace their managers in terms of current knowledge – not least because new tools, artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly reshaping how work gets done. Experience will remain vital, but it will no longer speak louder than insight – whether that insight comes from long careers or fresh eyes.

In a working world in flux, the ability to lead ourselves is an increasingly fundamental skill. At its best, it unlocks greater freedom in the career path we pursue; more influence over where, how and with whom we work; and more flexibility in deciding when work happens. As entirely new roles and professions emerge – many of which do not even exist today – it also equips us to keep pace with change.

No one can say for sure how life and work will change in the future. This doesn’t mean we have to face it unprepared. When we commit to investing in ourselves and our skills, we multiply our opportunities; we open up more ways to turn our working lives into something that truly fits our aspirations.

“Ali Mahlodji is preparing the next generation for jobs that don’t even exist yet.” Financial Times

“Ali Mahlodji is the philosopher of modern working life.” Radio Ö1

“With a simple but powerful approach, Mahlodji, a former school dropout, has reinvented how we think about the careers we choose.” brand eins