ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE HUMANS, MUST RENEW THEMSELVES

There are over 75 trillion cells in the human body and millions (between one to three million) die and are replaced every second. Some are lost through wear and tear, and others deliberately self-destruct. The body is always in a state of restructuring and flux, renewing and reorganizing. Through “Program Cell Death” or apoptosis, and based on programmed sequences in their genetic codes, cells kill themselves. When too little apoptosis occurs it can trigger cancer. Too much of it could cause other chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. A complex healthy living entity balances death and renewal—so should a living healthy organization.
Every minute of everyday organizations, like humans, must renew themselves down to each and every cell; they must insert this need to self-define and redefine into their genetic code.
“In the animal kingdom, the rule is or be eaten, in the human kingdom, define or be redefined.”
—Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry
A page from the Caterpillar's Edge 

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