The Human Journey Through Exponential Change:
Creativity, Dominion, and Companionship.
On a recent Wednesday morning I attended chapel service at my youngest son’s school. While waiting for it to begin, I read a compelling article by David Shapiro, Our Darkest Hour Approaches. It was so thought-provoking that I immediately shared a quote from it on LinkedIn: "The hard part about change… is that you actually have to change." As the service began, I reflected on humanity’s relentless drive to create and exert dominion over creation.
Photosynthesis—nature’s profound transformation of light into energy—is a quantum process we barely understand, yet our innate creative impulse drives us to grasp and replicate it. We strive to harness the power of the sun’s fusion energy to replicate the sun in a smaller scale. We race to decipher the mysteries of AI, quantum computing, robotics, nanotechnology, and more—each advancing simultaneously, yet collectively like an invisible force forming what Shapiro describes as a tsunami of creative destruction. And destruction never arrives without pain. But to what end? What are we aiming to achieve with all this change?
Sitting in the chapel, my gaze rested on the cross, and a realization struck me: our pursuit of progress is, at its core, an attempt to return to Eden. We imperfectly strive to create a better world for humanity, using the very trait granted to us by our Creator, who made us in His image—our need to create. In exercising this creative trait, we seek to fulfill the purpose God gave humankind—to have dominion over the earth. We embody our God-given Purpose of Dominion by harnessing knowledge and creativity to shape our environment—striving to eradicate disease, extend life, alleviate pain and discomfort, and enhance prosperity. However, we do it very imperfectly, often creating more pain. It's as if we try to be who we are meant to be, but we do it imperfectly, and more often than not, it seems to take us further away from Eden.
As we worshiped, singing of Jesus as the “Man of Suffering,” Shapiro’s words echoed in my mind. We must all endure our darkest hour as we confront the inevitable pain of change.
“If you haven’t already, you too will need to experience your own darkest hour. Maybe you’ll lose your job and have to reinvent yourself. Perhaps your identity is tied to your abilities, which may soon be eclipsed by machines, compelling you to reconstruct your sense of self-worth. You might be forced to move to a new location or even face a family breakdown as these changes unfold.”
The reality of job loss looms large—something my hometown, the Washington D.C. metro area, is experiencing in significant numbers for the first time in decades. While job loss is the most obvious disruption as businesses and job classes decline and new ones emerge, other second—and third-order effects from this tsunami of technological change will bring pain and difficulty of change.
Yet amid change and uncertainty, we must remember a third defining characteristic bestowed upon us by our Creator, alongside creativity and dominion: the need for companionship. We are not merely makers and rulers; we are relational beings. God created mankind to commune with Him and with one another. So fundamental is this need that in the Garden, He declared, “It is not good for man to be alone,” and provided Adam with a companion. Our Creator has walked with humanity from the beginning, establishing a precedent for deep, meaningful connection.
As we navigate this era of exponential change, we must not overlook the relational aspect. It’s easy to become transactional, concentrating solely on efficiency and output. However, we can only endure the pain of transformation through connection—the shared human longing for intimacy and belonging. This is why I dedicate so much time to reflecting on exponential change—not just as a technological or business phenomenon, but as a deeply human experience. All of this change gets played out at the kitchen table, for some it's joy at the prospect of new opportunity, for others it’s tears and worry due to an uncertain and unexpected future.
Why must we balance creation, dominion, and relationship? Because preparing for change isn’t just about reinventing business models or implementing new strategies. It’s about guiding people—employees, colleagues, and communities—through the process of reinvention. A leader’s role in responding to change is to restructure organizations and support and inspire those within them to reshape themselves.
This requires empathy, the foundation of Human-Centered Design. Change is not just an abstract force—it is lived, experienced, and often painful. As leaders, we cannot overlook this. Within the Christian faith, our Savior willingly entered darkness with humility, guiding His people toward the light. Likewise, we must not fear change. Our collective creative instinct propels it forward, but we must navigate it together in humility and empathy.
Economic change—often driven by technological change—has historically been one of the strongest drivers of political upheaval. Certain groups often find themselves left behind as economies evolve—whether through technological advancements, shifts in labor markets, or disruptions in wealth distribution. This economic displacement frequently leads to social unrest, ideological movements, and sometimes outright revolution. The Industrial Revolution led to the rise of communism, and the Great Depression created a fertile ground for fascism. At the end of the day, people who felt left out found an outlet. Eric Hoffer in the True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements sums it up quite well:
“A rising mass movement attracts and holds a following not by its doctrine and promises but by the refuge it offers from the anxieties, barrenness and meaninglessness of an individual existence.”
We should learn from history and sincerely consider the deeply human experience created by change. Exponential change is accelerating beyond what any individual can manage alone.
As I walked out of the chapel service, I received a text from the mother of my two eldest children. They had to say goodbye to their dog of 13 years. My kids are teenagers who have never known life without Roscoe, but now they face a dark hour, feeling the pain of change. Yet, it will be relational engagement that will help them through this. As this tsunami of change arrives, we must harness our creativity and relational nature to support one another.
When I was in combat in Iraq, there was an unspoken rule that no soldier would be left behind. In the chaos of war, the bonds between us grow stronger as we realize that no one survives alone. The same applies to the turbulence of change. Don’t ignore the incoming change; don’t assume its impact will be minimal or gradual. Instead, acknowledge it, confront it, and prepare for it.
If you lead an organization, how will you equip your workforce to face this wave of transformation? Inspire them and lead them through the uncertainty of change. Be honest! AI, Quantum and other tech will require new skill sets and make others obsolete. It will drive new industrial models that look vastly different from today. Making these changes at the corporate and individual level will be hard and very uncomfortable, at all levels. What got us here today and will not get us there tomorrow. The near future will look different from today.
We cannot and should not stop the creative forces driving this change; they are a fundamental part of being human. We however, we must also remember the relational longings we all share as human beings. To this end, as leaders and individuals, extend a hand and present a bold vision for how you will assist the people who fuel your organization in reinventing themselves alongside your business model. Reassure them that you will weather the tsunami of creative destruction together and emerge stronger than before. Treat exponential change not merely as a transactional event, but as a relational one where the collective creative genius of the people in your organization fuels the shared reinvention for success.
True leadership in this era of rapid transformation means recognizing the discomfort of change while providing a path forward. It requires balancing innovation with empathy, strategy with adaptability, and boldness with humility. The most successful organizations will not only reinvent themselves in response to new technology; they will cultivate resilience in their people, ensuring that business model transformation leads the way rather than being dictated by technological shifts. They will foster environments where creativity and human connection flourish side by side. Change is inevitable, but how we navigate it—as individuals, teams, and communities—will determine whether we merely survive or truly thrive in the world to come.