Careers are a social construct. They were created for the convenience of the organisation. Over time they became useful to both sectors and societies. The prevalent narrative is that we start at the bottom of the ladder and work our way to the top. Each step representing a jump in economic and social status. Moving from technical /’hands on’ to managerial was a clear indicator that you were gaining career altitude. The unfortunate consequence of this approach is that technical people, for example scientists, engineers and creatives are considered a lower caste. Thus there is a pressure to become ‘hands off’ just as your hands were getting the hang of it. The struggle For many of us, our career is the framework in which our life unfolds. Consequently our CV is entwined with our life story. Thus there is tendency to architect a socially impressive career path depicting heroism and nobility. Examples include: Post room to CEO – “Know that with no qualifications, I was smart enough to play the game well!”. Rags to riches – “Know that despite the odds I can now buy and sell the people who once looked down on me.” Adaptive hero - “I have smartly transitioned from lunar astronaut / Olympian / extreme adventurer to media pundit / public speaker / successful CEO”. Careers are traditionally linear in nature. A journey from A to B where B is remarkably different rom A. Careers can seem even more dramatic if there is some adversity along the way. Eventual triumph against the odds turns a career into a dramatic odyssey and even a poignant expression of the human condition. Lucky for some? But there are those who take a more gilded path, for example: Silver spooner – “Know that despite the salary my impressive qualifications could command I choose to work at a not-for-profit organisation because I am socially conscious and from ‘old money’. Invariably, I will one day be the CEO of an international NGO.” Top drawer – “Know that my Ivy League education followed by a career at a top tier management consultancy highlights that I am simply better than most people and most likely a very attractive potential mate”. I have some sympathy for those born wealthy as they will find it difficult to add drama to a narrative that is essentially. “On reflection, I lived my life wearing ‘training wheels’. There was never really anything at stake”. Who moved my ladder? The challenge we have today is that careers are no longer linear; they are about to enter retirement. In a world where AI, in particular is gaining ground, how likely is it that today’s young doctors, architects or lawyers will be economically relevant to their sector in, say, twenty years? So perhaps it is time to change the narrative. With increasing macroenvironmental disruption, for at least the next five to ten years, it might be better to think of our professional lives as a video game that evolves randomly in real-time. It is thus not clear: How success is measured What are the rules of the game When the game ends Where does the game end (the boundary). Towards an infinite career This is sometimes referred to as the infinite game, a game we had no choice but to play prior to the agricultural revolution. This is the game we are genetically wired to play. In essence, the only reason for playing the game is to stay in the game, ie the game’s theme is survival. This means being predictive, opportunistic, adaptive and thus intelligent. So whether you are a junior doctor, management consultant or tattooist, you need to monitor the environment looking for signals that suggest it is time to pivot. Traditional careers are no longer a given. Follow the energy One way to play the infinite game is to create your own personal rules (aka values). These might include, I will do whatever it takes to: Become financially rich Have power over as many people as possible Make a positive impact on society Be famous – social media makes fame a recognised career path Be a world authority / the expert Maximise my free time Grab what I can with the least amount of energy expenditure. Fundamentally, professions are energy exchange mechanisms. Employers consume your energy for their strategic purposes in exchange for cash, which you can spend to recharge and maintain a charge in your dependents. That’s it. Who cares? Perhaps it is time to reassess what your professional life means to you beyond staying in the game. Because each calorie of energy you spend has a temporal cost. And time is something you cannot buy back no matter how much money you have acquired. The next best thing is legacy - to have a library or a business school named after you. But that isn’t quite as good as being alive and appreciating life. Either way, the path you take is unlikely to be the path you planned.

When you spend your time focusing on your career there is a risk that you are not picking up on the signals that indicate that the very nature of careers is changing. So in this article we explore and debunk five widespread misconceptions. Career chapters are sequential Over the last few hundred years, the understanding is that you progress from a junior to a senior position within a profession or sector. You may start off as an account executive and end as the Chief Revenue Officer of a Fortune 500 company. The reality is that having a career with only one income stream puts you at risk. Thus the growth in side-hustles. You may be an IT consultant during the day, but in the morning you run a drop ship running shoes retail business and in the evening you are a dub step - dinner jazz deejay. Over time, it becomes unclear as to which is your primary ‘career’. Follow your passion You are a highly paid lawyer / banker who hates what you do, but you are shackled by golden handcuffs. You believe life would be much more fun if you started your own YouTube channel that focused on your, recently acquired, interest in wellness. If you follow your passion, you may discover that you are either late to the game or there is no market for the insights you have acquired from attending a few Pilates classes and watching maybe five Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson fitness videos. If you can align your passion with market demand, a focused offering and competence, then following your passion makes perfect sense. A degree guarantees a job In many countries a degree can only guarantee debt. There is of course more to tertiary education than education, but it is an increasingly expensive way to fund your right of passage into adulthood or to plaster over your insecurities. Some professions require a relevant degree. Be very careful about getting into debt on the off chance the market might pick up. If your heart is set on acquiring a qualification, then find an employer who will pay for it. Loyalty is rewarded My generation was told to demonstrate reliability by not job hopping. There was a danger that interviewers would spot that you were a flight risk and so you would fall at the first hurdle. Whilst a high employee churn rate is costly for the employer, increasing disruption makes this less of an issue. Employers increasingly value candidates with a broad portfolio of experience. Also job hopping is the easiest way to boost your salary. Though viewing your career purely through a financial lens will make for a soulless existence. Your career title defines your worth For some people, their choice of career path was not their choice. Their parents, regarding their kids as social assets, pushed them into medicine, law and forensic anthropology. When the parents talked about financial security and career prospects, they were really talking about their own self-worth. Such messages, eventually seep into the children’s psyche and so only the most self-aware dare veer off their chosen path. Your career is only one aspect of who you are. There was a time when the 24-7 lawyer or the sales professional who tries to negotiate with the superstore checkout operator would be seen as consummate professionals who live and breathe their work. Today they look increasingly sad. Not least because of the price they have paid in respect of their loved ones, personal health and for their role in upholding dysfunctional practices. These are just a few examples of how the world of work is changing. More broadly, question everything in respect of your career assumptions.

The rise of AI and automation is reshaping the world of work at a pace few of us expected. For many, this brings excitement and opportunity. But for others, it triggers anxiety—about job security, relevance, and what the future holds. This is entirely understandable. When machines appear to be getting smarter by the day, it is natural to wonder where we fit in. The good news? There is a place for us, but we need to step up. Here are five practical ways to ease AI-related anxiety and build a more resilient, future-ready mindset. 1. Shift from task to capability thinking Jobs are collections of tasks. And it is true—many routine or repetitive tasks are being automated. But rather than focusing on what you do each day, think in terms of capabilities. What are you good at? What can you bring to different contexts? Are you a strong problem solver, communicator, or relationship builder? By identifying your core capabilities—those transferable strengths that machines struggle to mimic—you can start to reposition yourself. You are no longer just a “role” that can be replaced; you are a capability-rich contributor who can flex, adapt, and thrive across situations. Taken to te next level, a shift to outcomes will help you reposition your proposition in the context of what organisations truly value. 2. Stay curious and keep learning One of the best antidotes to anxiety is action. AI and automation are advancing, yes—but so are the opportunities to learn about AI. Short courses, YouTube tutorials, workplace communities, even AI tools themselves can help you stay informed and ahead of the curve. Learning does not have to mean becoming a data scientist. It might mean understanding the basics of how AI works or becoming more fluent in using collaborative tools. Every time you add to your skillset, you build confidence—and that helps reduce fear. 3. Get comfortable with tech Fear often comes from unfamiliarity. If AI feels like a black box or distant threat, try bringing it closer. Play with AI writing tools like ChatGPT, experiment with automation apps like Zapier, or explore how your organisation is already using smart systems. Perhaps even befriend a techie! Rather than seeing AI as something done to you, treat it as a co-pilot. How can it help you save time, make better decisions, or improve your work? When you use the tools yourself, you start to see their limits—and their potential. That perspective shift is powerful as it will attenuate your anxiety. 4. Focus on what makes you human AI may be good at logic and prediction, but it struggles with empathy, trust-building, and creative leaps. That is your zone. Strengthen the qualities that make you uniquely human—emotional intelligence, storytelling, ethical judgment, contextual awareness. The future of work will increasingly centre around collaboration between humans and machines. Your ability to bring emotional depth, navigate ambiguity, and care about others will be a competitive advantage, not a quaint leftover. Whilst AI systems have had millions of hours of training, we have had millions of years of training largely in very harsh environments. We have become highly adaptive. AI is not there yet. 5. Engage in shaping the future Do not sit on the sidelines. Get involved in how your organisation is adopting technology. Ask questions. Offer ideas. Join pilot programmes. Contribute to ethical discussions. When you are part of shaping change, you feel less like a victim of it. This does not just help your own mindset—it also signals to your employer that you are proactive and adaptable, qualities every organisation needs in uncertain times. Final thoughts AI and automation are not just about job losses. They are about the reconfiguration of work—and in many cases, the elevation of human contribution. By focusing on capability, continuous learning, human strengths, and active participation, we can all approach the future with more clarity and less fear. Rather than asking “Will AI take my job?”—ask, “Am I perceived as someone who is comfortable working with AI?”. And looking a little further ahead, “How can I become someone AI wants to work with?!”.

Press and Media I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace increasing disruption. Here are some of the most popular ways I support clients in achieving their objectives. Photos Short bio Career history Published in Books Live Miscellaneous Photos Use one or more of these for your promotional materials. Crop as required. Return to top Short bio This can be trimmed to exclude irrelevant points: I am a former technologist with a background in astrophysics who today is focused on how organisations adapt to what is an increasingly complex world. Some key points: Founder, Adaptive Edge Initiative , a thinktank focused on empowering organisations to deal with increasing disruption. Financial Times columnist for a decade on leadership matters. Lectured at MIT Sloan on leadership matters. Work with the University of Cambridge (Moller Institute) on leadership education. Trained in astrophysics and have worked in space science for the European Space Agency. Worked in over forty countries across the world across multiple sectors with many of the world’s most prominent brands. Engaged with former government leaders globally in the creation of a book focused on reimagining government. Written six books on strategic and societal matters. Worked with the European Commission, including authoring a book on the future of skills in Europe. Return to top Career history This is some background on my career to date. It may inpart help position me when Iam being introduced prior to speaking: 1 -Technical I had a childhood interest in astronomy. So you can imagine my surprise when I discover that studying astrophysics was a little more complicated. Thus I embarked on a career in software engineering. However, I was able to call upon my astrophysics degree when I worked at the European Space Agency on a cosmology programme. Through the defence sector, I developed a very deep understanding of technology as my roles initially involved: Real-time naval ship systems Electronic warfare Avionics lifecycle management Naval battlefield simulation Fighter jet management systems. Software engineering also took me into the worlds of: Investment banking Maritime search and rescue People management. I drifted into project management. For a bit of variety I got involved in training new entrants in software engineering and eventually experienced technologists in systems analysis and design. 2 – Educational I eventually set up my own company which focused largely on demystifying technology for businesspeople. I realised that there was a divide between technology people, who could not see the bigger context for the systems they were building and maintaining, and the users who had no idea what the technologists were saying. Initially this started with supporting service companies that engaged with technologists, eg. staffing companies and consultancies. Eventually this bubbled up to the c-suite. I managed to convince the Financial Times that they needed a column focused on digital leadership, which I penned for a decade. I was also engaged by the FT Live organisation to chair CxO dinners and conferences. This helped me develop an understanding of the issues leaders faced and it helped me develop some impressive contacts. Today some of my time is involved with leadership development. I have lectured at MIT Sloan as part of their MBA programme and today I am actively involved in leadership development with the Moller Institute, Churchill College, University of Cambridge. Over time, I found myself developing as a keynote speaker. 3 – Advisory My time spent writing, educating and keynoting helped me to develop the ability to convey insights in an engaging and memorable manner. Just as well as I was increasingly being invited to advise business and government leaders on matters of leadership, particularly in the context of societal upheaval and increasing disruption. This has led to many high impact engagements. Examples include, advising: One of the world’s leading banks on how to transition from slow technology follower to early adopter leader. Startups from around the world. The world’s largest technology organisations on how to attract and retain senior executive buyers. A government on how to set up an innovation centre optimised for ministers. A national sports association on how to navigate an increasingly disrupted world. A healthcare manufacturing company on how to harness the creativity of its people. Today, I am considered an expert on the drivers shaping our future and on how to build organisations that can embrace this increasing volatility. My delivery mechanisms are a mixture of advisory and, keynoting. I have also set up the Adaptive Edge Initiative . My focus on living systems and harnessing our natural human tendencies is well received by all stakeholders. Over the last four decades, I have worked in forty countries, across many sectors. My experience is unique, deep and broad. It is not clouded by the ‘trend du jour’. Most importantly, I don’t have all the answers. We are now operating in a ‘post-case studies’ world. My role is to help you create an organisation that can sense, decide and act with confidence regardless of what crosses your path. Return to top Published in I was a columnist for the Financial Times for a decade focusing on leadership matters. I have also been a columnist for a number of other publications: Return to top Books authored I am the author of several books, including one written for the European Commission on the future of skills in Europe.I have also produced reports and articles for Microsoft, HPE, Manpower, VMWare, Cisco, Pitney Bowes and other major brands. Return to top Miscellaneous Here is some information that is often required by event organisers: I am based just outside of London. London Heathrow is my nearest airport. I have no special dietary requirements. I prefer a lavalier or headset microphone and not a handheld. If my slides are to be integrated into a conference deck, I will need to see my embedded slides before the day of the event as this can detrimentally impact the slides. My slides can be shared with the participants in PDF format. I can provide this. I am happy to sign books if you choose to include one of mine as a participant gift. Return to top Do you need anything else? Contact me

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Learn more about him. About me Organisational agitator I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption Background Expertise Clients Personal Background I have worked at the sharp end of business and technology for over four decades across many sectors and countries with organisations ranging from startups to intergovernmental institutions. I am a former technologist with a background in astrophysics who today is focused on how organisations adapt to what is an increasingly complex world. To explore this, I founded a thinktank called the Adaptive Edge Initiative . Some key points: Financial Times columnist for a decade on leadership matters. Lectured at MIT Sloan on leadership matters. Work with the University of Cambridge (Moller Institute) on leadership education. Trained in astrophysics and have worked in space science for the European Space Agency. Worked in over forty countries across the world across multiple sectors with many of the world’s most prominent brands. Engaged with former government leaders globally in the creation of a book focused on reimagining government. Written six books on strategic and societal matters. Worked with the European Commission, including authoring a book on the future of skills in Europe. I have researched the practices of the most forward-thinking organisations and governments in respect of organisational and societal success. I have drawn upon anthropology, neuroscience, biology, technology and human performance to create a people-centred adaptive approach to thriving in a world where the future is increasingly unknowable. Expertise I help organisations in both the public and private sectors navigate an increasingly disruptive world. This ranges from: Awareness raising – eg. Public speaking. Exploration – eg. Workshops. Education – eg. Leadership development programmes. Implementation – eg. Advisory. These are just examples of how I engage with my clients. How my capability is applied will be driven by the outcomes you are seeking. Personal As part of my professional focus on helping people thrive in the post-industrial world, I take an interest in human performance, particularly around movement. I am a former track sprinter. I also have a background in martial arts (both hard and soft). In more recent years, I have taken up parkour, which can be considered the martial art of skedaddling. It involves moving through a typically urban terrain whilst negotiating obstacles. I also 'enjoy' ultradistance trail running, which can be regarded as a picnic on the move. I actually enjoy modern jive dancing. To give you a sense of how good I am, my wife ranks dancing as my most effective martial art. How can I help? My services

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. He is also an accomplished public speaker. See him in action. Ade - Live Here are extracts from keynotes I have delivered in Sweden, Egypt, France and London for both public and private sector audiences. As well as live footage , you will also find short and longer form showreels along with four pre-recorded videos . These will give you a sense of my perspectives (at the time of recording). Showreels Short Extended Pre-recorded Live events I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption My clients Let's talk