"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength"
(Proverbs 24:5)
FRANCIS BACON'S LATIN PROVERB, "scientia potentia est," is one of the earliest known examples where the common term "knowledge is power" is found. Indeed, Bacon's proverb is more a reflection that with an improvement of an individual's knowledge there comes an increase in that individual’s potential. In essence, an individual has a better chance at succeeding in life by increasing his knowledge, consequently giving rise to power. Bacon was clearly one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for individual education and development, citing its critical role in attaining maximum potential.
And, that attainment is not limited only to individuals. The rise of every great nation and empire is almost always founded on its ability to acquire and apply knowledge for maximum gain, often through strategic and militaristic advantage. The legendary Manhattan Project is an excellent example of the knowledge-power paradigm, paving the way for the U.S. to bring the Second World War to an end, while also asserting and establishing its status as a world superpower.
Intelligence reports during the late 1930s indicated that the Nazis were making significant strides towards developing an enriched uranium (nuclear) bomb. The basis of developing such a bomb lay in Albert Einstein's famous E=MC2 equation. However, Einstein initially did not believe that developing a nuclear bomb, through the release of massive amounts of atomic energy, was easily attainable, definitely not during his lifetime. In fact it was one of Einstein's friends, Leo Szilard, who figured out a theoretical way for a nuclear bomb to be developed. He visited Einstein in July of 1939 to urge him to write a letter to President Roosevelt communicating the urgency of joining the race to research and develop a working nuclear bomb. This famous letter was the catalyst that triggered the Manhattan Project, the detonation of atomic bombs over Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as the subsequent Cold War and the resulting arms race. Einstein later reflected on writing this letter as being one of the few regrets in his life.
Following President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s receipt of the letter, the U.S. embarked upon the single largest engineering project in its history: to win the race to produce the first ever nuclear weapon. The project’s chief engineer, J. Robert Oppenheimer, a brilliant physicist, was tasked with developing the most powerful weapon known to man. At a cost of $2 billion ($20 billion in today's money) and employing no less than 130,000 people, the first nuclear bomb was tested in the barren desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. That successful test was quickly followed by the detonation of the first nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This vivid display of scientific knowledge lead to power over the Japanese, which resulted in an immediate and unconditional Japanese surrender. It was also the precursor to the Cold War and the Space Race, when political brinkmanship revolved around three key pursuits: (1) the quest for knowledge, (2) pushing the boundaries of mathematics and science, and (3) dominance over rival nations. Many commentators have since reflected that vast technological advancements during the latter half of the 20th century could only have happened in a Cold War political environment, where the intense rivalry between two adversaries acted as the mechanism which advanced the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding.
Joseph Campbell asserted that historical development of many towns and cities, especially in Europe, can be traced back through the dominant buildings that constitute their skylines. During the Middle Ages, it was common for churches to be the most imposing and tallest building within the center of cities, towns and villages. This was by no means accidental but rather by design—it highlighted the importance placed upon religion by society during that period. Over time, churches were dwarfed and superseded by governmental and judicial buildings, and finally in modern society, we find that the most magnificent, dominant buildings in city centers are those which represent business and commerce. These social and spatial development observations reflect changes in revered sources of knowledge and power over centuries—from religion to politics and then ultimately to commerce.
The knowledge-power paradigm has undoubtedly played a critical role in societal development over time. The emergence of each one of these types of organizations—religious, political, and commercial—was enabled by the development of spiritual, scientific, militaristic and economic knowledge, and the ability to effectively communicate that knowledge. Today, in business and commerce, we find the knowledge-power paradigm used by strategists to drive home the potential of gaining a competitive advantage through the acquisition and successful application of knowledge. For example, you may possess significant market knowledge, to which your competition may not be privy, effectively creating an important competitive advantage. However, this really begs some important questions: What is knowledge? How does it differ from 'data', 'information' and 'wisdom'? If leaders across all industries suddenly acquire knowledge, does that automatically give rise to power? Can the knowledge-power paradigm be planned for in a strategic manner by leaders?
Many pages in numerous books have been dedicated to outlining how knowledge-power can effectively be used. Do a quick search online or just browse the business shelves of your local book store, and you can see how extensively the topic is documented. So an obvious question is, "why are so many industries, businesses and decision-makers still not effectively using nor leveraging this paradigm to improve performance and productivity, which can ultimately lead to success?" Is it cynicism regarding the validity of the paradigm? Perhaps leaders feel that the maxim does not apply to them? Is the problem that, although they agree that the paradigm is essential to success, perhaps they really don't know where to start and how to apply it?
Whatever the reason, the following chapters will highlight the inner understanding and practical workings of the knowledge-power paradigm, and producing a clearer awareness of the conditions required for it to effectively work.
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