Learning from Mother Nature

The recent Chainlink Research Executive Forum took place in Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada. The intent was to learn from each other and find inspiration to prepare for the future.

The recent Chainlink Research Executive Forum took place in one of the natural beauty spots of the world – Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada. The intent was to create an environment in which participants could disengage from the constraints of their daily responsibilities and reflect on their challenges and opportunities in the neutral and pristine environs of the Canadian Rockies. – All attendees shared a single goal – to learn from each other and find inspiration to prepare for the future.

Discovering inspiration…

Walking across the baronial halls of the Banff Springs Hotel to reach our conference room each day I was constantly distracted by the sheer grandeur of the snow capped mountains that surrounded us – reflecting the sunrise and sunset of each of our days of discovery. I was not alone in my awe of the surroundings. Fellow participants were entranced by the snowy peeks, even as they communed with the more mundane world through the digital interface of cell phones and PDA’s.

Presenters provided thought leadership on subjects ranging from the new ‘digital democracy’ in China to ‘natural capitalism’ – generating lively discussion related to the adoption of technology as a means to create a global intimacy and collective concern for the diminishing resources of our beleaguered planet.

Both the impressions and emotions engendered by this inspiring event remained with me for weeks. Surrounded by evidence of the material world, I found myself haunted by the feeling that there was a message that I could not quite comprehend but which was profound and compelling. Distracted and disturbed I reflected on the various messages that I had brought back with me from the event – surely there was a theme that I needed to understand and communicate to those around me?

Returning to reality…

Then, a few days after my return home to North Carolina it struck me – we have become so absorbed in the technology created by mankind that we have almost forgotten the greatest teacher of all – Mother Nature!

Watching the leaves change color, on cue when the calendar announced that it was now Autumn, I contemplated the patterns within nature, and their relationship to the less altruistic world of commerce. In common with the corporate world, Mother Nature plans and manages each year in quarters, each with a clearly defined beginning and end.

As my mind considered the eternal circle of the passing years, I was reminded of the agrarian roots that have sustained man from generation to generation. The old Farmer’s Almanac provided guidelines with which to plan and prepare for both good and bad times. The quarterly seasons were laid out in sequence, diligence in the first season providing the foundation for successful growth through the heat of Summer and a rich harvest in the Fall.

The year starts with Spring, when the seeds of creativity emerge, fresh and full of expectation. These tender plants, like all new ventures, require nurturing and care, but even so, not all will survive. This is the time to focus on areas of greatest opportunity, forcing ourselves to abandon the fading flowers that are short lived in the first flush of the Springtime.

As the months pass, the heat of the Summer, with competitive forces and predatory elements, destroy all but the most resilient of the new crops. Resources need to be applied carefully, reserving effort for those that will surely survive. This is a time for ruthless diligence – monitoring, measuring and protecting the investments of the early days.

Success is reflected in the time of harvest, when months of toiling come to fruition in the Fall. But even so, in this moment of bounty, it is necessary to put aside reserves for lean times. These golden days are times to plan for the future, reflecting on the success and failure of past seasons, ruthlessly pruning back the branches of less productive ventures. Time too for considering new opportunities, planting seeds and creating an environment to nurture these tender plants through the cold and harsh months of Winter. Reaping the rewards of past labors, those that have planned and performed well are assured of a respite during the colder, more barren months ahead.

Winter is a time for reflection, for consolidation and consideration.
Time to commune with others.
To share ideas, past and future.
To forge old bonds and make new friends.

Perhaps this was the lesson that I was trying to learn from my epiphany in Banff.

Following the simple guidelines that have endured since the first Garden – Eden – leaders of the corporate world can be assured of a blueprint for success. Whether managing quarterly for the financial world, or creating a sustainable model for future generations.

The first rule is to remember that change is a constant – each day varying from that which preceded it. Prepare for change and welcome it as a new opportunity.
Planning and preparation is critical – consider the changing seasons, even when the sun is shining.
Not all endeavors will survive – like the glorious flowers of a Spring garden there are fleeting moments of promise that should not distract us from the perennials that survive for all seasons.
The time of the harvest is the moment to prepare for the future – take time to put aside resources and capital for the lean times ahead.
Conserve your natural resources, sustain your human capital and nurture it to create an environment of sustainable development.

And respect the environment! – Taken as a parable, eating the forbidden apple is comparable to destroying the natural resources that sustain us all. We share this planet called Earth – it is up to everyone to take only what is needed and save something for the children.