epilogueThe Rhythm of Reinvention

After Michelangelo died,someone found in his studio a piece of paperon which he had written a note to his apprentice, inthe handwriting of his old age:Draw, Antonio, draw, Antonio,draw and do not waste time.—Annie Dillard, The Writer’s Life

It’s axiomatic that human organizations—nations, governments, industries, businesses, political parties, communities, and schools, to name a few—must be willing to reinvent themselves in order to flourish over time.

As I write this, the descendants of ancient Egyptians are filling the streets of Cairo, seeking to sweep away the old order, to install a new government in the place of a 30-year-old regime.

In the boardroom of a large, established British corporation with which ...

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