In high-stakes industries like real estate, most leadership lessons come from market reports, board meetings, or business books. But for Nick Millican, CEO of Greycoat Real Estate, some of the most enduring insights come from an unexpected genre: science fiction.
At first glance, it might seem like a leap—from managing London office portfolios to reading about intergalactic empires and speculative futures. But Millican sees value in fiction that forces leaders to think systemically, ethically, and long-term. Great sci-fi doesn’t just invent new worlds—it asks what happens to power, loyalty, and identity when the rules change. This feature explores how Millican brings those lessons into boardroom strategy and development planning.
Leadership, Millican believes, is about navigating complexity—about seeing second- and third-order consequences before they unfold. And that’s precisely what the best sci-fi novels demand of their readers. Whether it’s grappling with resource scarcity in Dune or the political fragmentation of The Expanse, the stories are metaphors for strategic decision-making under pressure.
This framing has practical implications. At Greycoat Real Estate, Millican leads projects that operate across long timeframes, balancing investor returns with evolving user needs and shifting urban patterns. The ability to think beyond current constraints—to imagine how human behavior, climate, and technology might reshape demand—isn’t a luxury. It’s a competitive edge. Chickenshed’s leadership spotlight on strategic systems thinking reflects this broader commitment to long-view decision-making.
And it’s not just about predicting the future. It’s about asking better questions in the present. Sci-fi forces leaders to confront uncomfortable hypotheticals: What if the system breaks? What values do you protect when trade-offs become unavoidable? What kind of leadership endures—not just in moments of growth, but during collapse or transformation?
For Millican, reading speculative fiction isn’t escapism—it’s preparation. It cultivates imagination, skepticism, and emotional distance: all traits that allow for clearer strategic vision. Especially in sectors like commercial real estate, where long-term investments depend on understanding forces well outside your control. Nick Millican’s approach to forward-thinking urban strategy shows how that perspective informs design, partnerships, and capital strategy.
Ultimately, the link between sci-fi and leadership lies in perspective. Both require seeing beyond what’s visible. Both demand comfort with uncertainty. And both reward the leaders who can read not just what’s happening—but what might happen next.
Nick Millican’s approach suggests that leadership isn’t always learned from case studies or classrooms. Sometimes, it’s found in the quiet pages of a novel that dares to look farther ahead than most people are willing to go.
To explore more about his professional background, visit: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/nickmillican
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In high-stakes industries like real estate, most leadership lessons come from market reports, board meetings, or business books. But for Nick Millican, CEO of Greycoat Real Estate, some of the most enduring insights come from an unexpected genre: science fiction.
At first glance, it might seem like a leap—from managing London office portfolios to reading about intergalactic empires and speculative futures. But Millican sees value in fiction that forces leaders to think systemically, ethically, and long-term. Great sci-fi doesn’t just invent new worlds—it asks what happens to power, loyalty, and identity when the rules change. This feature explores how Millican brings those lessons into boardroom strategy and development planning.
Leadership, Millican believes, is about navigating complexity—about seeing second- and third-order consequences before they unfold. And that’s precisely what the best sci-fi novels demand of their readers. Whether it’s grappling with resource scarcity in Dune or the political fragmentation of The Expanse, the stories are metaphors for strategic decision-making under pressure.
This framing has practical implications. At Greycoat Real Estate, Millican leads projects that operate across long timeframes, balancing investor returns with evolving user needs and shifting urban patterns. The ability to think beyond current constraints—to imagine how human behavior, climate, and technology might reshape demand—isn’t a luxury. It’s a competitive edge. Chickenshed’s leadership spotlight on strategic systems thinking reflects this broader commitment to long-view decision-making.
And it’s not just about predicting the future. It’s about asking better questions in the present. Sci-fi forces leaders to confront uncomfortable hypotheticals: What if the system breaks? What values do you protect when trade-offs become unavoidable? What kind of leadership endures—not just in moments of growth, but during collapse or transformation?
For Millican, reading speculative fiction isn’t escapism—it’s preparation. It cultivates imagination, skepticism, and emotional distance: all traits that allow for clearer strategic vision. Especially in sectors like commercial real estate, where long-term investments depend on understanding forces well outside your control. Nick Millican’s approach to forward-thinking urban strategy shows how that perspective informs design, partnerships, and capital strategy.
Ultimately, the link between sci-fi and leadership lies in perspective. Both require seeing beyond what’s visible. Both demand comfort with uncertainty. And both reward the leaders who can read not just what’s happening—but what might happen next.
Nick Millican’s approach suggests that leadership isn’t always learned from case studies or classrooms. Sometimes, it’s found in the quiet pages of a novel that dares to look farther ahead than most people are willing to go.
To explore more about his professional background, visit: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/nickmillican