High-Tech, High-Wisdom: Are You Engaging with Innovation as Fast Food?
"Having wisdom is being in a state of consciousness in which you know, think and act, or more precisely speaking, you understand, reason and execute with a holistic intelligence." -- Yasuhiko Genku Kimura
Nothing wrong with prioritizing speed of service and seeking to make people's lives easier, but have you stopped to think of how many "negative unintended consequences" may arise from what seems to be efficient, convenient, affordable and profitable, but that may neglect to prioritize health, ethics, and a more holistic understanding of the potential upstream and downstream impacts of your coolest product or service?
For those who are not familiar with the terms, upstream impact refers to everything that went into the production of your product before it got to your customers, including the extraction of natural resources, the manufacturing, the transportation, and so forth; while downstream impact has to do with everything that happens after your customer uses or disposes of your product.
Some leaders may be forced by regulation to make sure there is no deforestation, social injustice, poisoning, air and water pollution taking place in the process, or at least that they meet the "requirements" determined by law. That may be a good start, but is it enough for a wise leader, a leader who is seeking to disrupt rather than be disrupted?
Some may say "but it has always been done this way", or "this is the best practice, the state-of-the-art in the market". Really? Take a look at how this Boston-based startup called Metalmark Innovations is inventing new materials that mimic nature at the nanoscale, and at how this NYC-based biotech startup called Werewool is creating biodegradable fibers for clothing based on proteins found in nature that also confer such qualities as color, stretch, and water repellency. They intentionally shy away from synthetic biology, which has potential human and environmental health risks, to innovate by applying biomimicry and holistic intelligence.
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Are you motivated to asking more potent questions and unveiling new layers of understanding? Listen to the episode of The Good, The Bad and The Fun on Leadership Podcast with Yasuhiko Genku Kimura for more reflections on wisdom, and join us on Feb 9-10, 2024, for High-Tech, High-Wisdom: an inspiring 2-day immersive leadership course in Miami-FL with Yasuhiko and other great experts in their fields.
I look forward to co-creating this experience with you for you and your team to learn and rise together. So get in touch !
Briyah Institute Founder
P.S. For more inspiration on how innovators look to biomimicry to address challenges, check the article by Meg Wilcox called "From butterfly wings to shrimp claws: Mimicking nature on the nanoscale."