Every living system does two things:
It senses and it responds to its environment.
To do that, it needs a map — a model of itself in context of the world around it.
The problem is, many of us are using maps that no longer match the terrain.
Ptolemy built a beautifully detailed map of the cosmos.
It was useful. Predictive, even.
But it was wrong.
It took Copernicus to flip the center and change how we see the universe (not if you’re a flat-earther).
I see the same thing inside businesses.
Smart, capable teams are copying what worked for someone else or holding tight to old blueprints that don’t fit their new environment.
It’s human. We learn by mimicry.
When Pacific Islander tribes watched U.S. Marines land supply planes in WWII, they noticed the rituals — headsets, hand signals, and landing formations.
After the Marines left, they reenacted the same patterns using wooden headsets, stone control towers, and similar hand signals, hoping to summon the planes again.
They weren’t foolish. They were imitating what looked like success.
But the map they were using was wrong.
We’re all guilty of this.
Copying other companies’ org charts, frameworks, or operating rhythms — believing the mimicry will bring the same results.
But imitation doesn’t create advantage.
Understanding does.
The right map doesn’t just describe your current environment — it predicts how to move through it.
It helps you sense, respond, and adapt faster than competitors.
For over a decade, I’ve been refining these maps — insightful models built from first principles that show how organizations actually grow, align, and scale — and why they don’t.
Because when your map is right, your mission can succeed.
When it’s wrong, the greater the effort, the faster you head of a cliff
You can see what these maps look like in action here:
👉 https://organizationalphysics.com/features-overview/
– Lex, your CEO coach
📌 P.S. Every breakthrough I’ve had came from realizing my old map no longer fit the terrain I was walking. The faster you update yours, the faster and more fun your path forward becomes.
