Different Is Better Than Better.

By Les Mottosky

Some leaders are re-realizing what Nature has always known: uncommon beats upgraded.

For 30 years we witnessed (and lived-in) a world of smaller, faster, better. In fact, tech's overbearing marketing influence has us conflate 'faster' with 'better'.

Their strategy has worked. We're addicted to our apps, devices and the 24 hour access they facilitate to our rapidly depleting dopamine levels.

Tech, AI and robotics will stay the rapid course, but many of us are taking a step back. Leaders who've pondered the transformative impact of recent decades are noticing that progress isn't solely dependant on 'better'. More so, it requires 'different'.

Society's need for speed and improvement is starting to produce cracks. Addiction and depression rates are through the roof, teens are stressed-out by the most innocent social interactions, and anxiety abounds in all age groups.

If that ain't enough, a 2025 study from a publisher of open-access scientific journals (MDPI) found frequent AI tool use negatively correlates with critical thinking skills. The reason? Cognitive offloading, particularly in younger users. In other words, AI is doing the "thinking" for them. (Use it or lose it' is very real).

AI's impact is ironic given Apple's substantial role in tech's ubiquity. The Macintosh ripped into the zeitgeist with the iconic slogan "Think different." AI's inferred motto is "Think better". And yes, the velocity AI operates at is mind-blowing. But, at times, that pales in comparison to the concision and precision of it's responses. (Not to mention: no typos).

We're taught that better means improved or superior. According to whom? It's subjective. Different is objective. It's based on sensory measurement. Better has meaning for individuals. Different has meaning for most.

Both concepts can be misused and abused by marketers, but nature (reality) is immune to media hype.

Those societal cracks from our tech-boom whiplash allow for a scientific conclusion to pop through. It's obscured by the razzle-dazzle of Silicon Valley but, still, it emerges: adaptation drives evolution. It's those unique traits straying from the norm that enhance survival. They lead to species that are better suited to their environments. In other words: 'different' is the catalyst; 'better' is the result.

Where humans are concerned, different is a choice. Better is by chance.

The future is gambled by chasing better, but it'll be won by choosing different.

Because in Nature, it’s not the fastest, strongest or cleverest that survive. It’s the most adaptable. And for humans, adaptation is a decision.

TAGS: #Adaptation As Innovation #Audacious Strategies #Clarity In Leadership #Thinking Leadership #Observing Nature

Les Mottosky

Adaptation Strategist // I help organizations turn creativity into their competitive advantage by aligning leadership, culture and strategy to unlock adaptive innovations.

Ask about the Clarity Engine Process.

lesmottosky@mac.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-mottosky-9b94527/