Did you know that October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar? Its name comes from Octo, meaning eight. The early Roman calendar, with just 10 months, was chaotic and didn’t align with the seasons, causing confusion for agriculture, business and festivals.

It wasn’t until Julius Caesar’s reform in 45 BCE that things changed. Seeing the inefficiency, Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, aligning it with the solar year. With the help of experts like Sosigenes, Caesar’s reform created a system that lasted over 1,600 years and evolved into the Gregorian calendar we use today.

It’s a fascinating story, and teaches us valuable lessons about innovation and leadership:

• Innovation is iterative: The Roman calendar didn’t evolve overnight. Similarly, business improvements often come from small, steady changes.
• Bold decisions drive progress: Julius Caesar saw inefficiencies and took decisive action. Great leaders aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
• Adapt to external factors: Businesses need to align with changing market conditions and external forces. Staying flexible is key to long-term success.
• Collaborate with experts: Leaders don’t need to be experts in every field, but they do need to recognise when to bring in the right people to solve problems.

The evolution of the Roman calendar shows us that innovation is a process and effective leadership is about timing, vision and bold action. Whether you’re making incremental changes or leading through a major transformation, the best leaders always keep the bigger picture in focus and take action when it matters most.