“Neoteny Now!”

One of my favorite sayings is from Mary Anne Evans (a Victorian era English novelist who used the pseudonym George Eliot): "It is never too late to be the person you could have been".

So, when I came across the concept of Neoteny in my master’s studies, it is no surprise that I was very intrigued! Neoteny is a zoological term that describes animals that retain youthful qualities. It is now being applied to the study of leadership.

In this context, Neoteny is emerging as a key element of success. Applied to effective leadership, Neoteny is the retention of all those wonderful qualities that we associate with youth: curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy. It is "innocence in action", an attribute Walt Disney used to describe himself; the capacity for what he called “uncontaminated wonder”.

In practice, Neoteny means being willing to take risks, remaining hungry for new knowledge and experience, being eager to see what each new day will bring. As we get older, those who possess Neoteny will be able to look forward to the wonderful things to come in the future, rather than longing for things of the past . . . no matter how few years may lie ahead compared to what has passed.

Janet and I are writing this Blog to inspire leadership in every individual, no matter what role(s) we play in life right now. It seems to me that Neoteny is an attribute that each of us would be well advised to embrace and perfect. I believe that the quality of Neoteny will keep us happy as we progress in life . . . and will make us much more effective contributors -- leaders -- in the world around us.

So, as we begin a new year, my wish for you is that 2010 will be a year of continuous discovery for you, of being open to taking new risks and seeing what each day will bring for you!

Happy New Year!

Questions to Ponder: Do you find yourself looking forward to the future or longing for the past? If the latter, what can you do to change your outlook, to develop Neoteny? In what ways can you adopt a capacity for “uncontaminated wonder” in your daily life and abandon cynicism and negativity?