breastmilk . They also grew fur to help them keep warm . And warm-bloodedness helped them to hunt in the cold and dark . So , when disaster struck , these small furry animals were well-placed to survive .
Given the age of the earth ( 4.5 billion years ), the 65 million years that followed were only 20 minutes on the 24-hour clock . Since then , those humble , mice-like creatures have been transformed into elephants , lions , whales , dolphins , seals , bats , giraffes , kangaroos , cattle , dogs and … us .
The split from our closest cousins in the animal world , the chimpanzees , was only about seven million years ago ( just over two minutes on that 24-hour clock ). Homo Sapiens developed as a species during the last ten seconds or so , and we emigrated out of Africa to spread across the world some 70 000 years ago ( which is little more than one second on that 24-hour clock !). What helped humans to cross continents was the Ice Age , another example of macro-change in nature . Earth was certainly “ reinvented ” when the dinosaurs abruptly disappeared !
One of the last places on earth that Homo Sapiens got to and inhabited was New Zealand ( about 800 years ago ), and these humans were the first mammals that reached that country ( where PPS is about to start a new business in 2024 ).
But back to our modern age and the topic at hand .
At PPS , we are driven by three values . Our first value is about doing the right thing , emphasising ethics and integrity rather than mere action or perfectionism . Then , we take extreme ownership . This value is about leadership at all levels in the organisation . But it is the third one I want to get to .
At PPS , we are eternally curious . This value talks about striving to do things better to innovate . We challenge each other to never stop learning and to never be satisfied with the status quo . It really is about continuously reinventing , both at a business and a personal level .
As we grow older and settle in our professional careers , we often relinquish certain interests and hobbies . The result can be boredom and even depression . Keeping a sense of adventure and curiosity lends our lives a sense of interest , challenge and excitement . It ensures that our personal growth does not grind to a halt .
In a previous edition of The Professional , I wrote that a definition of “ becoming old ” could be to stop learning . Want to stay young ? Then , always invite new learning and different perspectives and experiences into your life . Do not stop reinventing !
There are many ways in which most of us can combine some of our passions , interests and hobbies with our professional jobs . In fact , much business innovation happens when people start linking seemingly different environments . Innovation experts at business schools call this “ boundary spanning ”.
“ Some of the biggest inventions and innovations that have changed the world were the result of when somebody looked at a problem through a different lens , coming from a different environment .
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It is about paradigms , and staying curious allows us to question existing paradigms .
And just as we ( as individuals ) can reinvent ourselves , organisations can and must do so as well .
Why do so many great companies fail to reinvent themselves in the face of disruptive technologies ? The work of Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen ( and his classic , The Innovator ’ s Dilemma , is a must-read for managers who need to make strategic decisions ) provides some answers . He points out that consistent , sound decisions by good managers could actually lead to failure if they do stay close and listen to their customers ! Because improving product features
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