John Henry was generally acknowledged as the best "steel-driving man," a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into a rock to make holes for dynamite. One day, his company adopted a "drilling machine," and he challenged the machine to a contest, arguing machines cannot replace human jobs" Who do you think has won this contest? Surprisingly, John Henry won by swinging his hammers without a break, only to end up dying in victory as his heart gave out after the race.

This sad, heartbreaking story from the age of mechanization and the Industrial Revolution provides many implications.

First, firms need insight and perception to determine whether the new wave of change is a signal or noise. We tend to resist disruptive innovations to the extent that they are revolutionary and force us to ignore new changes. This drives........

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