Quantum Management

In the so-called hard or exact sciences, the advent of new theories that attempt to explain the complexity of the Universe is always celebrated as the discovery of unknown phenomena pushes the frontiers of knowledge. It is common to cite the genius of Newton in the 17th century and how his laws of physics were perfected by Einstein in the 20th century. But also, almost in parallel a hundred years ago, physicists such as Planck, de Broglie, Schrödinger and Bohr developed theories on quantum mechanics that are related to the physical behaviors of atomic and subatomic particles, which escape the laws of Newton and Einstein. If an astronomy fan can dazzle his audience by predicting the movement of planets and eclipses with Newton's equations, he could no longer talk about gravitational lenses in the observation of galaxies without resorting to Einstein. And if we talk about a cat whose life depends on the random decay of a radioactive atom (the famous Schrödinger's Cat), neither Newton nor Einstein have managed to deal with a reality that is and is not at the same time.

As interesting as the topic may be, the purpose of this text is not to enlighten you about physics, which is not my field of predilection, but to reflect on the evolution of management in a world that is increasingly more complex and uncertain every year. The metaphor here is that executives generally handle Newtonian concepts well, the most advanced master Einsteinian techniques, but very few reach the quantum level of management. And which one would that be?

Our physical reality only manifests itself under the gaze of an observer in the present moment, and the thicker the information we handle, the more concrete it seems to be, to the point that we take it for granted in the past and in the future. For example, if we see the statistics of Smartphone usage in the world population, we consider that these devices and all the technology that accompanies them to make them work, constitute secure data, on which we can build the development of a business, an application or a digital commerce. That would be the Newtonian vision of management, that of large bodies. As we incorporate more elements of definition of a reality, we increase complexity on the one hand and uncertainty on the other hand. Smartphones consume energy obtained from batteries made with finite components, they need abundant and fast transmission networks, a legal framework for content, privacy and data security and a large number of variables that must occur for the technology to work, But there must also be individual people who turn on their cell phone at every moment and incorporate it into their lives. What appears to work in the Newtonian world is actually sustained thanks to the depth of the relationship between energy and matter that belongs to the Einsteinian realm. High-flying managers then have data on the future availability of cheap rare earths, essential in the manufacturing of Smartphone components, and in-depth studies on user behavior, extracted from Big Data analysis using artificial intelligence. And probably hundreds of additional variables that we didn't even suspect.

It is enough to imagine the exponential increase in information at our disposal to understand that the level of complexity has already exceeded the processing capacity of the most brilliant minds, which is why, as good human beings, we must resort to technological aid that, in the In the past, it was called a wheel and now it is called artificial intelligence. The ability to process data at high speed and connect the dots is what defines intelligence. But is that what defines the human being as an intelligent being? We know not. In the mid-1990s, Daniel Goleman coined the term Emotional Intelligence, probably in reaction to the excesses of the previous decade, illustrated with books such as In Search of Excellence by Peters and Waterman (1982). Over the years, we are seeing how theories reach their limits and call for defining new paradigms to manage reality.

We finally arrive at Quantum Management. If they extrapolated that this is a management for superbrains aided by quantum computers, they could not be more wrong. The culmination of the management of infinite information lies simply in the gaze of the observer in the present moment and the technique is meditation. Obviously the defenders of Newton and Einstein already defend themselves by saying that "God does not play dice with the Universe", however, they can prepare to discover a new world where psychopathic behaviors, stress, alcohol or drugs no longer exist. They are associated with high responsibilities. Good academic training and good experience in the field of expertise continue to be key, as does the management of human and corporate codes; however, the decision process, which is the source of stress due to the anxiety it generates, can become quantum in a state of Mindfulness, or as I prefer to call it Pointfulness (www.pointfulness.com). The basis that supports this statement, beyond the studies that have been done on the benefits of meditation, lies in the fact that it is our own observing consciousness and our own brain that extract the reality that we perceive from the quantum soup, it is they that They have always assembled Lego pieces from the box where they are mixed up.

Quantum Mechanics was a revolution in the field of Physics because it has even more questions than answers and the best scientists in the world continue to seek unification between the laws that govern the subatomic world and the material world, the famous Theory of Everything. The physicists of the previous century who rejected it died in ignorance and oblivion, and those who adopted it made great advances in the understanding of the Universe and matter. Henry Ford was a hero of his time, but no modern manager could reapply his methods or his treatment of clients. The great captains of current industries cannot compete with the production conditions of dictatorships or poor countries and have to relocate, mopping the floor with the principles and values ​​that they claim to defend in their countries of origin. The application of reason and material intelligence to qualify it in some way can go against what we could call the Good because it operates in a restricted, closed, discrete universe (in the mathematical sense). Many times, the solutions that are demanded now, precisely in the pursuit of the Good (however relative and subjective it may be, I will not discuss it here), are not found in the current theoretical framework and a quantum leap is needed (pun intended). Quantum Management opens the field to infinity and ensures two results: 1) the solution will adjust to reality and 2) the solution will adjust to the Good.

To detail these last points, I would need to go into considerations that took me a book to capture (Singular Life and the Triangle of Illusions, 2015, Legatum Editores). The point can be summarized by considering that by working exclusively on a reality free of illusions, the solution that emerges is ipso facto attached to reality. In relation to goodness, the reality that flows in the Present represents the Good, contrary to the Illusions that separate full consciousness from that reality. And here we find a crucial point that guarantees the sincerity and honesty of Quantum Management: You cannot fake it. No Newtonians disguised as quantum in the classrooms. It is a new generation with new skills that will retire the previous generation simply because they will make better decisions with stress-free bodies and clear minds to deal one hundred percent with the problems that arise while old school managers will be overwhelmed by the complexity. and trying to anesthetize the pains of a saturated mind.

I mentioned at the beginning that the technique is meditation, and it is both true and false. Calling it technical leads to confusion with some knowledge that you can acquire, take a course and obtain the "quantum manager" certificate. It's probably not like that. Getting rid of the power of the mind that creates all our illusions about our Past, our Future and our Ego, that determines our attachments and distracts our energy from real life in order to concentrate on the Present and surrender to the reality that flows is not obtained with a week-long seminar in Kathmandu. It is a complete change of perspective on life and as Eckard Tolle very fairly and ironically says: "It is unlikely for a successful Wall Street trader to achieve enlightenment unless he first spends time in prison." So, who will be the quantum managers? Probably the young people who will see the need for a change of perspective and will trust in the teachings of ancient knowledge, those who, having hit rock bottom with the current model of life, will rise on solid ground and not on illusions and perhaps some older ones with plasticity. mental still enough to leave attachments and start a new journey. And for those who fear that the directories are going to be filled with Hare Krishnas and yogis in sari, well, fear not, I have been one of them for a long time and no one has noticed it by appearance.

When the prominent French novelist, adventurer and politician of the 20th century, André Malraux uttered his famous phrase: "The 21st century will be spiritual or it will not be", he was not referring to religiosity but to spirituality as the foundation of society. I want to interpret that phrase with which I grew up as the vision of the limits of a material and extremely rational world that is drowning in its illusions of wealth and progress. Spirituality is not about living in a world of angels and songs but about being able to look at our human reality from a higher perspective, the point of view of the gods in the past, and now from our own pure consciousness, free of the mind. . For this reason, I am confident that there is a revolution going forward and not backward, and that the solutions are found where we have to learn to look.