By Bhavesh Naik, AMBICA Training (Published April 5, 2004)

"The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers."
- J.H. Sydney Harris

Over and over in the history of mankind, we have tried to replace men and women with machines. Have we succeeded? If we did, what do those "replaced" people do today?

The truth is, as we invented machines and progressed forward, it created more need for human intelligence. We need now, more than ever, the resourcefulness, wisdom and creativity of the human mind. And if history is guide, we will need human intelligence even more in future.

Technology is a wonderful thing, of course. In business, as technology has become more and more pervasive, we have learned to off-load more and more of our business chores to the machines. Fair enough. However, one such "chore" we have tried to off-load to the machines is… thinking.

In the meantime, we have chosen to take more of a cookie cutter approach to building business. Why? Because it's easier than thinking, creating, diving deep within our own source of wisdom.

Too bad. Because studies show that successful businesses never substitute human intelligence with technology. In his best-selling book, Built to Last, Jim Collins studied businesses that were turned around from mediocre to great. One thing that these companies shared was that they all used technology as a core advantage. Yet, technical investment always came last, after other "soft" factors, such as leadership, people, strategy and teamwork. Today many, if not most companies seem to have put the cart before the horse.

Let's face it, the human mind is the best technology available to business today, it has always been, it will always be. And it can help us choose the right technology today, for the results we want tomorrow.

The message is simple, despite the "pitfalls" of using this technology called the human mind, we need to learn to unleash its power, harness that power and channel it to build a long-lasting, great businesses of tomorrow.

Want to explore this subject more? Request a FREE list of reading recommendations, including books, on building an enduring, highly profitable business. Contact Bhavesh Naik with AMBICA Training: (Phone) 301-916-4015 (E-mail), bhavesh@ambica.net.