Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is the genetic material of all cellular organisms (and most viruses). It carries the information needed to direct protein synthesis and replication. Protein synthesis is the production of the proteins needed by the cell or virus for its activities and development. Replication on the other hand is the process by which DNA copies itself for each descendant cell or virus, passing on the information needed for protein synthesis. The (DNA) molecule is the genetic blueprint for each cell and ultimately the blueprint that determines every characteristic of a living organism. (Just to give you an idea, don't sweat it!)
Many of us have a basic idea of what DNA is, but most lack a broader understanding of the implications of fully demystifying and having the ability to re-engineer this life-blueprint for specific human purposes. An international scientific collaboration called the Human Genome Project (HGP) was commissioned a few years ago and was given the task of decoding the entire genetic blueprint of a human being. Through a process known as sequencing, the goal of the HGP was to identify all of the estimated 31,000 genes (the basic units of heredity) in the nucleus of a human cell. This also involved mapping the location of these genes on the 23 pairs of human chromosomes, the structures containing the genes in the cell’s nucleus. The human DNA consists of 4 letters (i.e. proteins: A - adenine, C- cytosine, G - guanine, T - thymine) which are arranged in a sequence, but the challenge really is in determining the specific sequence of the 6 billion base pairs (genetic letters) for each person. (That’s right! 6 Billion!!)
The race for the complete sequencing of the Human Genome (lining up of all the human letters) began in 1990. In September 2007, the first complete human genome sequence was achieved and is now available to all on the internet
Dr J. Craig Venter (Entrepreneur and Scientist) in his presentation on BBC titled “DNA Driven World” said that I believe that the future of our society relies at least in part on our understanding of biology and the molecules of life - DNA. Every era is defined by its technologies. The last century could be termed the nuclear age, and I propose that the century ahead will be fundamentally shaped by advances in biology and my field of genomics, which is the study of the complete genetic make-up of a species.
Our planet is facing almost insurmountable problems, problems that governments on their own clearly can't fix. In order to survive, we need a scientifically literate society willing and able to embrace change - because our ability to provide life's essentials of food, water, shelter and energy for an expanding human population will require major advances in science and technology.
The future of life depends not only on our ability to understand and use DNA, but also, perhaps in creating new synthetic life forms, that is, life which is forged not by Darwinian evolution but created by human intelligence.
To some this may be troubling, but part of the problem we face with scientific advancement, is the fear of the unknown - fear that often leads to rejection.”
Venter went ahead and identified an even greater problem than scientific literacy, which is that almost every aspect of our modern society is geared toward only dealing with problems after they have occurred, rather than focusing on prevention
As a result of enormous advances in technology (cumulative effects of Moore’s law of computer chips / memory and Butler’s law of photonics), sequencing a human DNA which could cost billions of dollars and took years to conclude a few decades, would be done in minutes just 5 years from now. Databases are increasing exponentially every year and students are making more discoveries every year than yesterday’s dedicated institutions.
Statistics have shown that corrective spending by governments has not necessarily translated into good results. Preventative technology has been identified as the practical solution to the challenges we face today.
A disruptive innovation and/or technology that makes the most of groundbreaking scientific innovation is what we require in meeting today’s global challenges including health, food, climate change and energy. (Refer to my earlier postings for more on the concept of disruptive innovation).
In health-care, we face enormous global challenges. Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis amongst others have consistently ravaged developing countries, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing more than its fair share. There are still several million child and maternity deaths in Africa per year as a result of these diseases. In 2005 total US health expenditures rose 6.9% - twice the rate of inflation. Total spending was a staggering $2trillion. US health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4trillion in 2015. That's 20% of GDP. But all this money does not seem to guarantee the highest quality health care. The World Health Organisation in 2000 ranked the US health care system as 1st by expenditure but only 72nd on health. Though understanding our genetic code may provide very few yes-no answers, it would, however, provide probabilities concerning outcomes that we will eventually be able to influence. Considering enormous computing power and memory available today, we will be armed with databases of information that allows us to recognise our genetic patterns, make scientific deductions, lead higher quality lives and pre-empt a significant proportion of future health-related threats to our prosperity at minimal cost.
In energy, we face seemingly insurmountable challenges globally. We are all aware of the all time high prices attained by oil futures and other energy commodities and there seems to be no respite yet. Most of the commercially viable on-shore petroleum reserves of the world have been discovered and reality is that (non-renewable) fossil fuels including natural gas, coal and oil-shale would not last forever. Bio-fuels have been much publicised but considering that last year, we consumed more than 83 million barrels of oil per day (or 30 billion barrels during the year), it may not constitute a replacement for oil at the moment. In addition we used over 3 billion tons of coal. These are mind boggling numbers and the only way bio-fuels can become pervasive and penetrate is through a widely distributed system. If there were one million bio-refineries around the globe each one would still need to produce 17,000 litres per day. Agriculture can certainly not support such scale in the near term.
Closely linked to energy is the issue of climate change and global warming. Greenhouse gasses (gasses that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, making it possible for us to survive and not return to the ice-age) have consistently increased in volume resulting in the earth’s warming up. As the world population increases from 6.5 billion people to 9 billion over the next 45 years and countries like India and China continue to industrialise, some estimates indicate that we will be adding over 20 billion tons of carbon a year to the atmosphere (well over the current average of 4 billion). Al Gore’s inconvenient truth provides us with more insight into the climate-change issues we may be facing.
Advanced techniques including the use of Recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering) and PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) have presented opportunities that could exploit bio-technology for generating renewable energy in sufficient scale.
Synthetic Genomics (Venter’s Company) have a major program underway in collaboration with BP to see how they can use naturally occurring microbes to metabolise coal into methane which can then be harvested as natural gas. While not a renewable source of carbon, it could provide as much as a 10 fold improvement over mining and burning coal. They also have organisms that can convert Carbon Dioxide into methane (Natural Gas is 95% methane) thereby providing a renewable energy source.
Sustainability, meaning our ability to meet the needs of today without compromising the resource-needs of future generations requires us to think unconventionally and apply our powerful minds and intellect in providing cross-platform and industry solutions. My creativity principle states that everything that would ever be invented already exists in its latent form. Our ability to permutate independent strands of knowledge and evolve a previously undiscovered solution is what distincts our species. We already have all that we need. It’s up to us to ignore our fears and embrace the new, or risk being swept away by inevitable mutations and transformations in our world as we know it.
Visit www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/12_december/05/dimbleby.shtml for more on the “DNA Driven World”. (Please note that there are risks associated with the use of advanced DNA techniques. It's actually a double edged sword. Wisdom compels us to maximize the inherent opportunities and mitigate the associated risks by enacting appropriate legislation and public enlightenement.)
Friday, February 01, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Re-orientating for Culture Shock!?
Nigeria can be great!
Nigeria will be great!!
Now, why did I start with these words? Well, it’s because many people and sadly, many Nigerians still believe our country is somewhat beyond redemption and that expecting a speedy change is tantamount to a wild goose chase.
Reality is that anyone taking such pessimistic position is practically demonstrating ignorance of subtle structural and fundamental transformation taking place all over the land.
I recently accepted employment in one of the leading energy companies in Nigeria and this necessitated my relocating from Lagos to a small island in Rivers State. I and my colleagues boarded a chopper at the Port-Harcourt Air-force Base as there aren’t any bridges linking the island to the mainland. The beautiful aerial view of the islands and adjoining water bodies was an unforgettable experience, and I could only wonder what enormous potential and opportunities lay there-in in efficiently harnessing and effectively redistributing the vast resources available in this land.
On arrival at the helipad of the facility, we were immediately received by designated staff who verified our identities, picked up our luggage, ordered for one of the official taxis (I’m talking about new air-conditioned Toyota Condors and Hiace trucks, not those ragged cabs we Nigerians are used to!). We subsequently drove through the silicon-valley like streets of the facility (in this Nigeria o!) and were accommodated in an exquisite apartment, reminiscent of the 5-star Hilton suites.
We held meetings with several members of the management team. The unusual thing was the level of composure, intelligence and excellence exhibited by ALL of them.
The first thing they would tell us is that ‘this isn’t a Nigerian company!’ The GM of Production (Caesar of the facility) reiterated that “our aim is to be one of the best companies to work for in the world because we are probably the best organization to work for in Nigeria at the moment”. The spirit of contentment amongst staff is also unmistakable. The organization’s main concern is to provide staff with ALL the support and resources they need in order to consistently deliver. They believe the less personal and need issues you have to worry about, the more focussed you are and the higher the quality of work done.
I remember vividly in a meeting we had with the Management of the Health Centre, we were informed that whenever there was an emergency in which a staff needed blood, they would depend on other staff (with same genotype) to donate blood. One of us (new recruits) then asked a question ‘how much do we get paid for doing this’? The doctor quickly replied and said “the culture here is quite different. Whenever we need blood, people are more than willing to donate and we always get more than we require!”
Of course, our poor colleague felt embarrassed!
A staff of the HR department went ahead to inform us on why the organization frequently funds and provides staff with international training opportunities. She said “we are currently working out the logistics for your international travel, and we hope to conclude on this soon. We believe you need this in order to mitigate the effects of the culture shock so you can integrate with the people and culture in our organization”
You guessed right! The question is why a culture shock???
Well, the answer is simple! Over 90% of organizations in Nigeria currently do not provide world class working environments (most banks, insurance companies, government and energy downstream companies inclusive). You might want to ask what world-class means, but simply put, world-class in the 21st century means an organization that has a clear cause, extremely values her people, has the right resources, has intelligent and always- learning staff dedicated to the corporate cause, delivers quality, adds value and is a responsible corporate citizen.
I could go on and on, but the moral of this story is that right in the midst of prevalent mediocrity, there are still organizations in our Nigeria that are committed to excellence in every sense of the word, and believe that what they have to offer is equally or even more important than what they have to gain in a capitalist and increasingly selfish and narcissistic world.
One more thing: I’m proud to work in such world-class environment. Those that are committed to excellence will reap the rewards of excellence and the mediocre, though seemingly prosperous today will eventually have themselves to blame in the emerging prosperous New Nigeria. As Fela Durotoye says, “whenever I’m given an opportunity to make a presentation or perform a task, I BLOW IT TO PIECES!!!” Wow! It’s time to blow those tasks into pieces and re-invent Nigeria in your own way.
Nigeria will be great!!
Now, why did I start with these words? Well, it’s because many people and sadly, many Nigerians still believe our country is somewhat beyond redemption and that expecting a speedy change is tantamount to a wild goose chase.
Reality is that anyone taking such pessimistic position is practically demonstrating ignorance of subtle structural and fundamental transformation taking place all over the land.
I recently accepted employment in one of the leading energy companies in Nigeria and this necessitated my relocating from Lagos to a small island in Rivers State. I and my colleagues boarded a chopper at the Port-Harcourt Air-force Base as there aren’t any bridges linking the island to the mainland. The beautiful aerial view of the islands and adjoining water bodies was an unforgettable experience, and I could only wonder what enormous potential and opportunities lay there-in in efficiently harnessing and effectively redistributing the vast resources available in this land.
On arrival at the helipad of the facility, we were immediately received by designated staff who verified our identities, picked up our luggage, ordered for one of the official taxis (I’m talking about new air-conditioned Toyota Condors and Hiace trucks, not those ragged cabs we Nigerians are used to!). We subsequently drove through the silicon-valley like streets of the facility (in this Nigeria o!) and were accommodated in an exquisite apartment, reminiscent of the 5-star Hilton suites.
We held meetings with several members of the management team. The unusual thing was the level of composure, intelligence and excellence exhibited by ALL of them.
The first thing they would tell us is that ‘this isn’t a Nigerian company!’ The GM of Production (Caesar of the facility) reiterated that “our aim is to be one of the best companies to work for in the world because we are probably the best organization to work for in Nigeria at the moment”. The spirit of contentment amongst staff is also unmistakable. The organization’s main concern is to provide staff with ALL the support and resources they need in order to consistently deliver. They believe the less personal and need issues you have to worry about, the more focussed you are and the higher the quality of work done.
I remember vividly in a meeting we had with the Management of the Health Centre, we were informed that whenever there was an emergency in which a staff needed blood, they would depend on other staff (with same genotype) to donate blood. One of us (new recruits) then asked a question ‘how much do we get paid for doing this’? The doctor quickly replied and said “the culture here is quite different. Whenever we need blood, people are more than willing to donate and we always get more than we require!”
Of course, our poor colleague felt embarrassed!
A staff of the HR department went ahead to inform us on why the organization frequently funds and provides staff with international training opportunities. She said “we are currently working out the logistics for your international travel, and we hope to conclude on this soon. We believe you need this in order to mitigate the effects of the culture shock so you can integrate with the people and culture in our organization”
You guessed right! The question is why a culture shock???
Well, the answer is simple! Over 90% of organizations in Nigeria currently do not provide world class working environments (most banks, insurance companies, government and energy downstream companies inclusive). You might want to ask what world-class means, but simply put, world-class in the 21st century means an organization that has a clear cause, extremely values her people, has the right resources, has intelligent and always- learning staff dedicated to the corporate cause, delivers quality, adds value and is a responsible corporate citizen.
I could go on and on, but the moral of this story is that right in the midst of prevalent mediocrity, there are still organizations in our Nigeria that are committed to excellence in every sense of the word, and believe that what they have to offer is equally or even more important than what they have to gain in a capitalist and increasingly selfish and narcissistic world.
One more thing: I’m proud to work in such world-class environment. Those that are committed to excellence will reap the rewards of excellence and the mediocre, though seemingly prosperous today will eventually have themselves to blame in the emerging prosperous New Nigeria. As Fela Durotoye says, “whenever I’m given an opportunity to make a presentation or perform a task, I BLOW IT TO PIECES!!!” Wow! It’s time to blow those tasks into pieces and re-invent Nigeria in your own way.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Classical VS 21st Century Leadership Imperatives
Leadership in the 21st century has taken on a new dimension and is significantly altered from what was obtainable in ancient, medieval and the pre-2nd millennium era. The demands placed on today's leaders are unique and unconventional, meaning that those who would be effective in this mordern and hi-tech era would have to do 2 things quite well.
Learn and acquire the new required skills swiftly and equally important, unlearn and discard old, traditional and no longer effective ways of exercising and manifesting quality leadership.
Classical leadership traits and fundamentals:
- Influence
- Charisma
- Lineage/family line
- Eloquence
- Physical ability
- Reactive
- Positional
21st century leadership cornerstones:
- Information
- Technology
- Change/innovation (agility)
- Opportunities (foresight)
- Communication and strategic intent
- Effectiveness
- Proactive-ness
This is basically self explanatory. I would elaborate on how each of these traits fit into their respective classifications in subsequent postings, but I’ll let you ponder upon these and draw on the power of your most-prized asset (your mind!) as self discovery is often the best way to learn.
Each of these traits (particularly those of the 21st century) can be further understudied to reveal how they strategically fit into the core-requirements for delivery and exceeding performance in whatever projects or engagements undertaken in the global/information society and capitalist/free-market place of today.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Hallo Friends. Welcome to the Strategic Year of 2008
Hello friends. I believe it’s been a great start into the New Year for you, and believe me, 2008 would be the best year yet (say Amen now!) Well, I want to apologise for failing to update my blog page regularly. Some have visited my site http://www.adetayo.blogspot.com/ a number of times expecting to see something new (but were disappointed), but be rest assured, there’s going to be something new at least every other week this new year. (I should let you know that I changed my job about three times last year, and was involved in quite a lot of relatively disconnected activities but this year has been declared one of greater glory (by my pastor, Rev Yinka Ojo – obviously echoing God’s mind) and experiencing this Chabod and Shekinah requires focus and consistency.
Alright, let’s shoot! I will use the first quarter of 2008 to share my thoughts on Strategy, Leadership, Values, Cause, competitive advantage and ‘spirituals’(other themes would also feature from time to time). These are highly critical and brain tasking mysteries that several leading authors and consultants of repute are still trying to unravel. (I guess you are then wondering…..’so what makes you think you’ve got what it takes to talk about, or perhaps provide insight into this high-octane arena that has kept Harvard Professors, thought leaders on strategy and CA, executives of PwC, Mckinsey, Boston Consulting group…..e.t.c working over time?’)
Well, let’s just say my mind, head and most-importantly Heart (or ‘Spirit man’ for those of us that understand the language of ‘Spirituals’) have been doing significant work along these lines, and I believe the little that I have to say would add value, and help at least a few people make better decisions that will impact their communities, constituencies and stakeholders positively. Hope you get the point!?
I was perusing the initial issue of Harvard Business Review in 2008 (and guess what? The cover page and most of the content echoed strategy and leadership!) Before I had even read through the magazine, the very first sentence in Prof. Michael Porter’s revised “Five Competitive forces that shape strategy’ (or something like that) was rendered invalid and/or inaccurate by Dr. Oren Harari on his aw-inspiring blog at http://www.harari.com/blog/. This probably provides you with some degree of insight into the intense warring amongst diverse schools of thought on these hotly contested themes.
Alright then, too much talk and too little action isn’t my style, so I’ve got to halt and get to the crux of the matter. Wish you the best as you learn a few things from my posts in 2008.
Alright, let’s shoot! I will use the first quarter of 2008 to share my thoughts on Strategy, Leadership, Values, Cause, competitive advantage and ‘spirituals’(other themes would also feature from time to time). These are highly critical and brain tasking mysteries that several leading authors and consultants of repute are still trying to unravel. (I guess you are then wondering…..’so what makes you think you’ve got what it takes to talk about, or perhaps provide insight into this high-octane arena that has kept Harvard Professors, thought leaders on strategy and CA, executives of PwC, Mckinsey, Boston Consulting group…..e.t.c working over time?’)
Well, let’s just say my mind, head and most-importantly Heart (or ‘Spirit man’ for those of us that understand the language of ‘Spirituals’) have been doing significant work along these lines, and I believe the little that I have to say would add value, and help at least a few people make better decisions that will impact their communities, constituencies and stakeholders positively. Hope you get the point!?
I was perusing the initial issue of Harvard Business Review in 2008 (and guess what? The cover page and most of the content echoed strategy and leadership!) Before I had even read through the magazine, the very first sentence in Prof. Michael Porter’s revised “Five Competitive forces that shape strategy’ (or something like that) was rendered invalid and/or inaccurate by Dr. Oren Harari on his aw-inspiring blog at http://www.harari.com/blog/. This probably provides you with some degree of insight into the intense warring amongst diverse schools of thought on these hotly contested themes.
Alright then, too much talk and too little action isn’t my style, so I’ve got to halt and get to the crux of the matter. Wish you the best as you learn a few things from my posts in 2008.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Disruptive Forces: Technology (the internet) and People
The disruptive technology is simply what I call the world’s internet. A few years back, the internet was basically viewed as just another tool for business, communication and entertainment. Most organizations probably just put up a website that displayed minimal corporate information. The internet was perceived to hold so much potential but most did not attach extraordinary importance to maximising its potential at that time.
Today, the internet has truly become the world’s internet. The 21st century is right here and the world has become a totally different place. Globalization (amongst other forces) has now distinguished the internet as the unrivalled platform for conducting any sort of business activity ranging from those of SMEs to multinationals.
The virtual world is fast adopting all the characteristics of the traditional real world and in a few decades, what is referred to as the virtual world at present may hold more significance than the traditional real world. The Matrix after all may prove to be more than just an imaginary concept and a figment of the wachowski brothers’ imagination.
Second Life is a rapidly expanding virtual community that provides an online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialize and participate in their own economy. A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
For businesses of whatever size, technology has become an absolutely indispensable tool. In-fact, a comprehensive IT strategy that makes adequate provisions for enterprise-wide knowledge management, performance improvement, process abstractions amongst others is imperative for corporations today and is viewed as a pre-requisite for survival in today’s acutely competitive global business environment. Peter Cohan (one of the world’s top technology strategists) said ‘the few firms that persist and ultimately achieve integrated transactions are more likely to enjoy a sustainable advantage over those that give up’.
Facebook, Google, Yahoo, MySpace and Microsoft are living examples of multi-million, perhaps billion dollar companies whose focus has been on people and Technology. The Foreign Exchange Market is another example of an industry that has so expanded as a result of these twin concepts. Current global daily transactions are upwards of $4 trillion daily!…providing market liquidity and accessibility levels never before experienced. Companies like Currenex have made this possible by connecting over 70 global banks to their state-of-the-art currency exchange engine. This has made Currency speculation a business the average citizen can engage in (though Peter Bain, a foremost trading tutor warns that forex-trading isn’t for the faint at heart but involves serious study, commitment, perseverance and development of a personal trading strategy).
Technology by itself is incapable of repositioning most organizations for high profitability. We live in times of knowledge proliferation and corporations are increasingly recognising the indispensability of the human resource. Warren Bennis remarked in Business Minds that “intellectual capital has supplanted capital as the critical success factor”.
The wealth of today’s organization is resident in its people. The expectations from today’s leaders are therefore totally different from what they used to be.
For those that want to remain relevant, and perhaps maintain relevance, recognition of and exploitation of these core duo resources (i'm not talking about intel processors here) remain central. People and Technology constitute the initial steps to achieving sustainable success, and realizing market dominance in the case of businesses.
It's no more an option for businesses, institutions, governments or individuals. You've got to embrace People and Technology now!
Today, the internet has truly become the world’s internet. The 21st century is right here and the world has become a totally different place. Globalization (amongst other forces) has now distinguished the internet as the unrivalled platform for conducting any sort of business activity ranging from those of SMEs to multinationals.
The virtual world is fast adopting all the characteristics of the traditional real world and in a few decades, what is referred to as the virtual world at present may hold more significance than the traditional real world. The Matrix after all may prove to be more than just an imaginary concept and a figment of the wachowski brothers’ imagination.
Second Life is a rapidly expanding virtual community that provides an online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialize and participate in their own economy. A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
For businesses of whatever size, technology has become an absolutely indispensable tool. In-fact, a comprehensive IT strategy that makes adequate provisions for enterprise-wide knowledge management, performance improvement, process abstractions amongst others is imperative for corporations today and is viewed as a pre-requisite for survival in today’s acutely competitive global business environment. Peter Cohan (one of the world’s top technology strategists) said ‘the few firms that persist and ultimately achieve integrated transactions are more likely to enjoy a sustainable advantage over those that give up’.
Facebook, Google, Yahoo, MySpace and Microsoft are living examples of multi-million, perhaps billion dollar companies whose focus has been on people and Technology. The Foreign Exchange Market is another example of an industry that has so expanded as a result of these twin concepts. Current global daily transactions are upwards of $4 trillion daily!…providing market liquidity and accessibility levels never before experienced. Companies like Currenex have made this possible by connecting over 70 global banks to their state-of-the-art currency exchange engine. This has made Currency speculation a business the average citizen can engage in (though Peter Bain, a foremost trading tutor warns that forex-trading isn’t for the faint at heart but involves serious study, commitment, perseverance and development of a personal trading strategy).
Technology by itself is incapable of repositioning most organizations for high profitability. We live in times of knowledge proliferation and corporations are increasingly recognising the indispensability of the human resource. Warren Bennis remarked in Business Minds that “intellectual capital has supplanted capital as the critical success factor”.
The wealth of today’s organization is resident in its people. The expectations from today’s leaders are therefore totally different from what they used to be.
For those that want to remain relevant, and perhaps maintain relevance, recognition of and exploitation of these core duo resources (i'm not talking about intel processors here) remain central. People and Technology constitute the initial steps to achieving sustainable success, and realizing market dominance in the case of businesses.
It's no more an option for businesses, institutions, governments or individuals. You've got to embrace People and Technology now!
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