Nurturing is a key discipline in the true warrior’s arsenal. Think about it. How do we grow? How do we learn? How do we flourish? How do we ameliorate our instinctive desires and drives in the community in which we find ourselves? We need to be nurtured. We, in turn, nurture as we are able. Even the smallest and youngest of us nurture. It is in our nature to do so. This natural instinct can be subverted and abandoned; it is often a victim of a competitive mind, situation, or environment—much to the detriment of the practitioner when the wrong thoughts take precedence. For example, the concern of losing some edge can keep you from sharing an advanced technique.
Abandoning our nurturing nature, as a result of a fear-based paradigm, causes silo thinking1. Boston used to be the technology capital of the world. The world’s industry-leading companies were all located there; they had leadership in technology, innovation, science, and business. Why is that not still true today? Silo thinking, vertical integration, not-invented-here syndrome, walls, secrecy, paranoia, non-compete agreements, strict controls over intellectual property (IP), etc..
Where are the technology leaders located today? Silicon Valley California. What is the reason this happened? Well it turns out that California doesn’t enforce non-compete agreements, so the brain trust became an environmental soup, in which ideas flowed more or less freely between industries, companies, competitors, and various start-ups. This free flow of knowledge benefited everyone in the community, whereas in Boston, progress was limited, capped, and impeded by the protectionist silo behaviour of the business environment.
Got a problem that appears to be insolvable? Ask the world! There are internet places where problems are posted to see if there are any novel solutions available. Guess what? There are. Why? We suffer from a myopic WYSIATI world view. You only know what you know. Sometimes you know something can’t be done, but someone who doesn’t know it can’t be done will go ahead and do it anyway. Surprise! You are not so smart!
Less is more. In business school and law courses, we are taught about the competitive advantage. We are taught to protect confidential information and IP. We are taught that this limited approach is how we succeed. But what we are not taught about is the limiting factors surrounding this behaviour. We are not taught about serendipitous events that occur frequently in an environment of open exchange. We are not taught about the multiplier effect of knowledge and information. We are not taught about business for the benefit of all—the unlimited and infinite approach. This true warrior wants to give you the good news: the world is full of ideas; the world is full of opportunity; the world is not about scarcity; and it is all about abundance. So nurture. It is in your nature.
The true warrior has always looked out for the younger ones, and the helpful ones. True warriors share, develop, and teach. You are warriors of the new age of enlightenment. You are destined to succeed should you so desire, and should you so share and nurture. So it has been written.