As we all grow older, it takes humility to reverse the dependence-independence-interdependency-dependence life cycle of maturity. As we age, our physical system forces us to slow down. In science this is called the second law of thermo-dynamics - all systems lose energy over time.

Management theory also argues that all management systems also lose energy over time, based on the same law. And, unless we re-energize organisations, they will succumb to entropy over time. Negative entropy takes the form of leadership of human and organisational systems working hard to re-energise systems that lose energy over time.