It’s okay not to know everything you want to know, as long as you are able to identify and pursue what you need in order to achieve your goal. Self-directed learners have the ability to figure out what they want to discover, search out the resources and take the initiative necessary to pursue that knowledge.

Critical thinkers always ask “why,” and are not satisfied with the answer to a question until they fully understand not only what the answer is but why it’s the answer.

Every great leader is also a great follower, and knows the value of working as part of a team. Leaders understand that they don’t need to do everything, and that they can’t be experts in everything, so it’s important to step back and let others shine when their skills and knowledge are needed.

Being able to take an idea and figure out the steps needed to make it happen, then execute is a fundamental skill in a world where the shape of future careers has yet to reveal itself. Changing your approach to match changing technology is what will allow you to remain relevant no matter what the future holds.

It doesn’t matter how good an idea is if you can’t let other people know about it in a way that allows them to not only understand, but empathize with your goals for it. Both written and oral communication allow you to tell your story and invite other people to share with you.

Great ideas and innovative solutions, no matter the field or career path, are what allow the world to advance. A vision of what something may look like that differs from the “conventional wisdom” is what allows industries to “jump the curve” and truly evolve.

What binds all of the other threads together into a future-ready learner is the ability to understand not only others but yourself as well. Empathy, metacognition (thinking about your thinking), finding a balance between work and the rest of your life, and the ability to make connections with a diverse range of individuals are the cornerstones of a successful, future-ready individual in the Post-Digital Age.