Futurist Friday with CAPT Ken Wallace

Over the course of the summer of 2022, we are releasing 12 interviews with futurists and forward thinkers in order to help our global audience of leaders become better visionaries for their organizations and be more prepared for our uncertain future.

In this episode, CAPT Ken Wallace joins the show. Based in Hawaii, CAPT Wallace is a third-generation career Naval Officer. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he started his career as a naval flight officer. In 2001, he transferred into the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography community. He is currently on the Pacific Fleet staff as the Force Oceanographer after completing his Major Command tour as Commanding Officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office.

In this interview, CAPT Wallace discusses why he leans on history to make sense of the future. He discusses how he vets the sources he finds valuable and the importance of a close network of peers to his development as a Naval Officer. Additionally, CAPT Wallace discusses the advantages and disadvantages of remote work, tips for quickly building trust while moving into a new leadership position, the importance of innovation and development to support autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and what fills him with a sense of optimism.

“I think real trust building…is built in person and it’s just very difficult to get there through other means. I also think that it ties into mental health. I’m convinced people need connections - human connections. Just a small subset of the population can live as hermits or can live completely isolated. Most people need some sort of eye-to-eye contact and human interaction and feedback. Really it comes down to friendship and love and trust…that connection. I think we are learning that (lesson) not only in the Navy but across our society.” CAPT Ken Wallace of the US Navy in “Futurist Friday with CAPT Ken Wallace” talking about the challenges of building trust and strong team connections in a remote-only work environment.

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