I vividly remember the first time I went to see Cirque du Soleil.  It was in Santa Monica in the early ‘90’s and it was simply amazing.  I kept asking myself the same question over and over…’who had the foresight, imagination, creativity and brilliance to create such a thing’?  It was extraordinary!

I had the same visceral reaction when I met Janine Benyus and Dayna Baumeister from the Biomimicry Guild.  I literally felt as if I was looking at the future.  The idea was so simple yet so profound.  Nature can be our mentor in a way that guides our thinking and behavior.   Nature can inform our culture, design and leadership! 

Biomimicry is NOT a technology that you embed in product, as many tend to assume.  Rather it is a vibrant ETHOS that serves and guides your entire culture.  Using Life’s Principles, Biomimicry can elevate and liberate the way you hold sustainability.  You actually shift from sustainability as the end point to a view that the sustainability is merely a stepping-stone to a more profound place of regenerative and restorative thought.  Most important is that Nature and Life’s Principles can guide your thinking in a way that inspires and liberates your ability to create.  It awakens us to the fact we are one large living system where there is no I, but only WE.   So imagine the possibility of learning from a master with over 3+ billion years of experience!  Why would we not want to learn from the genius and mentor that surrounds us?   

In complete transparency I engaged with the Biomimcry Guild as a client.  It was and continues to be the most inspirational journey of my professional career.  This is not an understatement.  If the world could adopt 10% of the humanity imbued by the Biomimicry team we would all live in a world of abundance.  They are so incredibly inspiring!     

This all sounds great, but is it practical?  Hell yeah!  Just ask InterfaceGlobal how biomimetic thinking has been a business driver.  Ask HOK how they now look at the future through a whole new lens in a way that makes them unique, culturally relevant and a true innovative leader.  Not content to simply build cities they are actively creating living cities!   They look at business challenges and ask…what would Nature do?

Lastly, I should note that Biomimicry as an ethos for creation is not for everybody.  It is for those who have vision.  It is for those who are want to create the possibility of what could be.   It is for those seeking to raise the bar and think on a plane beyond sustainability.  It is for those bold enough to lead a new frontier.  It is for those who want to work in the future…TODAY!

OK, admit it.  It is often the case that you are fearful of change because you might lose something.  The world might pass you by. You could lose your standing in the order of things. 

Well guess what?  The global marketplace is collapsing, our fears are coming true and misery loves company.  So what better time to regroup and assess what your preferred state or vision could be? What better time to be courageous and act on your instincts? What better time to reinvent yourself in the way that you always wanted to, but were fearful to pursue?

This is not a time to retreat or cocoon.  It is a time to regroup and grow stronger.  As the Zen proverb suggests, ‘from the obstacle comes the path’.  So lay down the small plans.  Stop thinking about a green product and start thinking about a new ethos for creating conditions to life.  

We all have one giant hall pass to design a better future state and follow our inner burn!