The Rhodium Rule
As leaders seek to leverage technology, they must start to become aware of the impact on other parts of the ecosystem. This leads to introducing a new rule in leadership:
The Rhodium Rule:
“Think about the entire ecosystem.”
Dating back to before biblical times, the Golden Rule was a moral rule to “Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself.” Fast forward to today, current culture would demand the Platinum Rule which states, “Treat people the way they want to be treated.” Exponential theory introduces the Rhodium Rule, “Think about the entire ecosystem.” Rhodium is the most expensive metal in the world and can be found in platinum, so Rhodium reinforces the Platinum Rule, yet introduces a value that aligns all the powers of exponential theory in a simple way.
Great innovators and entrepreneurs challenge the boundaries of many problems using the scientific method-ask questions, research, conduct a hypothesis, test a hypothesis by doing an experiment, analyze the data, draw a conclusion, and report the results. Was the hypothesis correct?
Exponential theory challenges every problem in a systematic way. Successful leaders focus on big ideas and small bets, not small ideas and big bets. For far too long, companies have bet the farm pouring billions into research and development without any proof. There is a new way to create evidence-based change based on data, feedback, and customer growth.
We are currently in the biggest explosion of disruption, as technology continues to drastically change everything. Linear thinking leaders will be blindsided by the coming big thinking innovations built on an exponential trajectory. Many current leaders have fought in a zero-sum game, yet future leaders will need to seek to expand the pie for all the stakeholders. This is proof that we are moving from a fixed mindset to growth mindset, and from scarcity to abundance. This is happening now, not in the past or the future.
When humans embrace exponential theory, we can better explain how we move from a linear to a circular economy. This new approach will help us find how to infinitely recycle, use renewable energy, clean the oceans, protect animal ecosystems, proactively heal humans, protect human rights, and salvage the climate. Humans will use exponential theory to eliminate global poverty and starvation, eliminate war (nuclear or otherwise), and make economic crises obsolete by shifting one mindset at a time from scarcity to abundance. We can move from healthcare (reactive) to wellness care (proactive) and potentially eradicate disease entirely through genetic engineering and new biotech solutions to solve nearly every medical issue. We are on the verge of massive breakthroughs nearly every day.
One thing is clear, we must begin to think about the long term, about future generations, for our planet to survive. The Iroquois people have a principle that decisions should be made with the next seven generations in mind.(1) This is something we should consider as we continue to deplete our natural capital for the short-term benefit of globalization focused solely on production and consumption; an unsustainable practice for a planet that has finite resources. We live on a spinning ball rotating around a Sun with clearly defined edges and limitations. Once we use the resources inside that spinning ball, they are gone. So, the use of coal, gas, and other unsustainable resources are limited, and we must shift towards renewable sources sooner than later. Regardless, we will need to shift away as they will eventually run out.
Exponential theory invokes optimism to deal with all these issues and reimagine a new future. Big thinkers have an opportunity to embrace this optimistic accelerated change en route to creating massive transformation like global cooperation, systemic racism reforms, and massive climate change reversal. The next generation must reimagine how we do just about everything, as the past has only led us here as we sit in a wasteland of excess and mass inequities.
Big thinkers know that no matter how complicated the prob- lem, that the problems are solvable. The impact of an individual or a small group of focused people is incredible, nearly every story in this book highlights a small group of people that solved a big problem. Leaders will think differently after completing this book: first, by recognizing the needed change around us, removing our own limitations, and implementing exponential theory to find local and global solutions alike. The goal of this book is to create an army of leaders working to solve the biggest challenges leverag- ing exponential theory.
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Sources:
- “What is the Seventh Generation Principle?” Indigenous Corporate Training. Accessed August 1, 2020. https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/sev- enth-generation-principle
