Are we using our marshmallow or acorn brain?

Are we using our marshmallow or acorn brain?

I love a thought provoking book.
 
The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric is one of those and I'm reading it now.
 
Fittingly, it was published in the summer of 2020 when the whole world took a collective pause and slowed down, when you could sit in the garden, not hear traffic, only bird song or the sound of silence.
 
The author uses the brilliant metaphor of the marshmallow brain versus the acorn brain
=> The marshmallow brain is the instant gratification seeking version of ourselves that is reward hungry and easily distracted
=> The acorn brain is the version of ourselves capable of strategising, long-term planning and caring for future generations, differentiating us from other animals.
 
In a world where rewards are abundant and technology distracts us and competes for our attention, he argues that we are losing the ability to think long term, at a time when we most need to, with all the challenges society faces today. 
 
Short term business cycles, opinion polls, lobbying and ruling structures all fuel short-termism.
 
However, the book cites examples of movements which are breaking the mould such as citizen assemblies, decentralised city states (more agile and more focused on restorative economic principles) and youth voting & policy representation.
 
Organisations can also play a significant role in shaping the narrative where long term thinking is synonymous with good leadership.
 
Examples:-
 
=> Paul Polman at Unilever rejected the quarterly earnings cycle to fight short-termism in financial markets. He argued that a corporation's role is to serve society as much as itself, and needs to respect and treat it's communities, biodiversity and the environment as core operational and financial concerns.
 
=> Ben Francis at Gymshark had the vision of a "100 year company" based on a strong brand and culture based on humility (he famously stepped down as CEO allowing others to lead) and a vision of long-term sustainable growth, rather than chasing unicorn growth or a quick exit.

I should also point out that Krznaric is husband of Kate Raworth author of ‘Doughnut Economics’ an economic theory whose core mission is the pursuit of a basic standard of living for everyone within the planet’s life support boundaries.
 
How does your company set an example (or not) and who do you look up to as a role model for strong long-term leadership?