May I start by wishing everyone a very happy new year. Our journey up the mountain towards the plateau of openness, agility and remix continues as it evolves. I guess that our journey with travel, reading, argument, reflection is one of evolution — the evolution of how we think.

I think that perhaps the role that governance has in GMT is morphing from oversight and supervision to THOUGHT LEADERSHIP.

One cannot just will creative destruction without creating the conditions for its flourish.

I am reading this book on creative disruption by Philippe Aghion. He speaks of the origins of creative destruction. It apparently begins a little further back than I thought. What was needed for innovation to flourish and unleash the power of creative disruption? This author argues that without both rent protection through intellectual property rights protection, competition and innovation, in tandem, creative disruption cannot flourish.

In the similar vein, I was challenged by a curious friend to associate creative disruption with the culture of fostering rebels and their limits. One cannot just will creative destruction without creating the conditions for its flourish. Without intellectual property right protection in the USA we might still be with an abacus — probably an exaggeration.

We, I am sure, all appreciate the onslaught of accelerating, accelerating change which is going to destroy as it creates. What is the role of a rebel? What is the role of those who question and challenge? Unpredictability is predictable. We are almost sure of this. How do we evolve to adapt?

We want to be challenged? Authority and vested, anchored interests and thinking will prevent innovation and creative destruction if not challenged by rebels. We are Filipinos and we follow one of the greatest rebels of history — Christ. His rebellion changed the world. The movement may have morphed into a form that may not have been as envisioned but a rebel for increased humanity, nevertheless.

Rebels who question — not rebels who are saboteurs — is the breed we are after. Rebels who have dreams for a better us.

What role do rebels play in our institution, Aboitiz Family and Firm? We need challenge. We need questioning. We need persistent query at all levels, everywhere and always. This questioning has to add. If it subtracts then we do not move forward adding value. Our Filipino culture’s gravity keeps questioning from floating so this is our challenge.

Rebels who question — not rebels who are saboteurs — is the breed we are after. Rebels who have dreams for a better us. Saboteurs are not rebels. Saboteurs are mutineers that use our venue to pursue their missions, their perspectives, and their gods that are contrary to ours. Them, we must cull and send packing for new voyages to foreign lands.

We want to ride the winds of accelerating, accelerating change and not be waylaid in contrast as the forces that hold us from innovating and adapting may do more damage than ever.

When we are out to move a bahay kubo from one lot to another, we can argue the how and the better way before we move it. Forward thinking and planning are prevention strategies. When we decide together, we all use our varied strengths to lift the bahay kubo and take it to our neighbor's new landing lot. Rebels that are saboteurs want to sit on the bahay kubo because they do not like the ‘how’ that all of us may have agreed. Hearts can be reason’s foe. I guess it depends on intent.

History is loaded with the incompetent hiding under the wool of process and of form

To answer the question of the role of rebels, one might say that rebels are welcome but saboteurs are not. Often saboteurs are aggressive and anger-driven so they are difficult to challenge so it probably takes more than one to cull the saboteurs from the rebellious so we are able to leave room and space for the rebels that foster creative destruction. Rebels without which our future is put to the  risk of being swamped by that lava from the volcano called change — accelerating, accelerating change.

My experience and that of many of us who rode the journey of WG&A know that some saboteurs come in rebel’s clothing! In our journey towards openness, agility, dynamism, remix, being evergreen, and adapting, we will run into those who think they know but really do not. History is loaded with the incompetent hiding under the wool of process and of form versus content to further an agenda that may not be to our long term interest.

How much noise is holding us back?

A&E 24x60x60 996

May the forces of evolution be with you!!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, MODERN SMARTPHONES DID NOT EXIST.

A LITTLE WIND AND A CREW NOT ON A&E 24 x 60 x 60 997 (Read about it here) AND THE WHOLE WORLD IS KEPT TO WAIT.

ACCELERATING CHANGES THAT WERE INCIPIENT.