What would Leonardo have said?

A 500-year-old genius shows the way in the modern technology debate

By Bente E. Engesland, CEO BCW Oslo (Burson Cohn & Wolfe). 

We live in a time of adventurous discovery. Technological advancements are at least as great as during the first industrial revolution, but these advancements also come with enormous uncertainty. So we should remember not to allow technology to become an obsession, or a new god. 

Technology exists for humans, not the other way around

Technology exists for humans, not the other way around. Here we have a lot to learn from Leonardo da Vinci, one of history’s greatest innovators. 2019 will mark 500 years since the genius’s death. Leonardo put humanity first and was uncompromisingly curious. Much of his genius came from the way he moved between disciplines, from art to technology, science and humanism. He thought differently.

To this point, the technology debate is dominated by conflict, fear and clichés. Many of the entrepreneurs I meet look at top corporate leaders and companies as being dinosaurs.They are accused of steering with outdated, hierarchical principles, of stifling creative environments so that they can protect the power they have gained in ‘the old economy’.

However, many business leaders and organisations are turning the tables back on the entrepreneurs, saying these young techno-nerds are dangerous – they take too much risk and are neglecting long-term profitability. These clashes of disciplines often occur because neither side understands the other’s concepts, methods or business models. They become strangers to one another.

What will create value in a few years from now?

As a strategic business advisor, I spend time trying to translate terminology and concepts, to enable reflection. The questions are often simple enough: What business models will create value in a few years from now? What does digitalisation mean for the people working in your organisation? How will technology influence the way you lead?

The answers, however, are often painful and more complex. Leadership is in fact undergoing a paradigm shift where vision, innovation and inclusion are key words. Leaders who want to succeed must move faster, but also involve others and listen more. We simply cannot ignore the changes.

We simply cannot ignore the changes.

Leonardo da Vinci appealed to ‘curiosita’: It’s about seeing yourself, using your imagination and exploring the possibilities.

For the past couple of years, I have travelled extensively to get to know and feel what artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms and digitalisation really mean to us and what constitute the technological revolution, both big and small. Prominent environments in Silicon Valley, Cambridge, Mumbai, New York, Berlin and Stavanger offer fascinating insights, overwhelming dynamics and innovative working methods. Even so, it was travelling to the past, to Florence and Milan, to the Renaissance, that made the biggest impression on me.

It is for sure difficult to understand our own time, the present. As humans we tend to move forward in the fog and it is only with hindsight that we see the clear light. In this perspective we definitely have a lot to learn from Leonardo da Vinci. The 1400s with Leonardo, Columbus and Gutenberg represented a time of boundless innovation, discovery and the spread of new technology. In many ways, like the times we live in now.

In Florence and Milan there was creativity reminiscent of Silicon Valley, the energy magnet Stavanger, or the seafood cluster along the Norwegian coast.

Knowledge is exchanged, competent people attract each other. Various professions meet as rivals to compete with each other or to connect and collaborate. We know, for example, that in the energy industry collaborating with ‘enemies’ can lead to greater success than being territorial and closing yourself off. Equinor is an example of this paradigm shift.

Let ideas have room to play

Innovation is to move outside the box, to let ideas have the room to play. ‘Dimonstazione’ – test out and celebrate your failures, said Leonardo, don’t ‘find five mistakes’ as is characterised by many company cultures. And, not least, ‘Sfumato’ – be comfortable with uncertainty and change.

The climate crisis, political polarisation, social conflict and economic turmoil – all of these require courageous leaders and people who dare to take risks.

We will not be able to find navigable roads unless we dare to venture more boldly into the unknown, allow reflection and look for the nuances along the way. Scrolling through self-absorbed text on social media does not make the big promise. There is nothing wrong with digital diaries and these can often be a source of closeness between people. But as I see it; we need a new philosophical reorientation.

What does progress mean in 2019? What do we want to preserve, what do we want to change? What direction can we carve out to ensure better steering for politics, the economy, humanity and the environment?

The genius of sustainability

If we think visionary it is possible to realise the goal of sustainability. Sustainability can be an overriding ambition rather than just a dutiful entry in the annual report. The genius of a more sustainable economy is that it will greatly stimulate innovation and creativity and will contribute to a new kind of profitability.

Leonardo da Vinci was way ahead of his time when he sketched an urban development plan for Milan, an exciting parallel to how we can now shape smarter and more environmentally- and people-friendly cities inspired by technology and art.

Yes, we can do all of this.

We can radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Innovative efforts across the energy industry can secure energy for the many millions of people in the world without access to electricity. The seafood industry is in the process of renewing itself in a way that can ensure that fish becomes an even more essential source of healthy food. And with a little help from the politicians, we can even get rid of the plastic in the oceans and protect the seas from further depletion. Yes, we can do all of this.

By putting people at the centre, digitalisation will develop solutions which are scalable, useful, ethical – that provide a better quality of life. Artificial intelligence will not save the world, but if we act more wisely, there is no reason to fear the future. 

Originally published in Dagbladet 26/01/19.