It was more than a banquet; it was an event – it was a celebration of a life of power and control. It was the annual Dinosaur of the Year program. The table setting was exquisite, the food exceptional, and pomp and circumstance was to be expected. Excitement gripped the air. The emcee began his introduction.

As his comments filled the room, the audience collectively shook their heads. The winner was obvious. The speaker’s superlatives could only be describing one individual. The audience waited in polite anticipation, as the introduction reinforced what all attendees already knew.

"Tonight, we gather to celebrate leadership and to recognize, not a leader, but rather the leader. This award applauds more then accomplishments – it recognizes dominance – absolute and total power and superiority. The winner is obvious - so I’ll be brief.

Once in a lifetime, an individual or maybe, more correctly a force establishes a presence in our world so dominant that it shapes the environment rather than being shaped by the environment. Tonight’s designee is such a character.

Simply stated, tonight’s Dinosaur of the Year is big and he’s bad. He is tradition and the status quo. He laughs in the face of change. He crushes his opponents and the conflict they create. He sees diversity for the weakness that it is; he ignores the pop culture and psychobabble that suggest evolution as the way of the future. He is the King of the Tar Pits!

He has protected RIGID from attacks by FLEXIBILITY. This man put ‘patri’ in patriarch. He gave status to status quo. He is the Big Daddy! Command and control define his style and his substance. ‘Because I said so’ and ‘if I wanted your ideas I would have squeezed your head’, are probably his greatest contributions to communication textbooks.

He established the world of Top – Down Management and has committed to defend that system to the death. He will not be overpowered, manipulated or changed. He is control! Crushing creativity and communications are his hobbies. His contributions to this world will continue for generations, decades, and even millennia. His name is legend

Please join me now, as we recognize the Dinosaur of the Year, our friend, leader and mentor – the man we affectionately call ‘Mr. T’ – T. Rex!"

With the announcement, a deafening roar filled the room. The audience stood and applauded out of respect and fear. It was a special moment and a special time.

Fast-forward a couple of million years. Today we recognize that change cannot be stopped. Evolution and revolution are forces as natural as gravity – the only certainty is change.

Today we know that "T-Rex" and creatures like him were the most large and powerful creatures on earth. We also know that they are gone and that their only legacy is the fuel left from their decaying bodies. Their failure to evolve – to adapt and change caused death and from that death was created new life, the fuel – the energy that drives our New World.

The most obvious, yet least likely survivors, from the Jurassic World of yesteryear are people and cockroaches. People because of their intellect, creativity, adaptability, communication skills, and ingenuity. Cockroaches have survived, even prospered, because of their ability to "hide in cracks".

People can outthink Dinosaurs; Cockroaches can outmaneuver them. People were "mind over matter" (with a good mind – size doesn’t matter). Cockroaches were the first niche marketers. They found the spaces where they could survive and prosper.

Today an evolution or maybe even a revolution is occurring in our world. We are moving from a patriarchal system of command and control, status quo and rigid to a system of innovation, creativity, risk and change. This is being driven by a global economy, technology, intense competition, and sophisticated consumers.

Yesterday’s patriarchal system was created following the CHAOS, of the great depression and two world wars. It was a world of order demanded by the marketplace.

Aging "hippies" and their children who challenge the status quo and demand options are revolutionizing tomorrow’s world. They demand, on a daily basis, products and services that are better, cheaper and quicker than yesterday. Excellence and new and improved are their minimum expectations.

As businesses, organizations and systems attempt to adapt, there are some that cannot change. The world has passed them by. Many still exercise power and control and are attempting to use this to maintain the status quo. Unfortunately, for themselves, they will learn the same painful lesson learned by "T-Rex" - change is inevitable!

(As a footnote to history - it should be acknowledged that the aforementioned celebration was the last Dinosaur of the Year Banquet – perhaps, it’s time to bring back this tradition as a vehicle to usher out in style the last of our DINOSAURS!)

Evolve or die!