My volleyball coach yelled ‘puka’ when nobody covered the open spot. I built a career on it.

In the early 1950s, a doctor named Virginia Apgar sat down to address a question that had never been posed before: how could one determine the health of a newborn in the crucial moments following birth? The doctor scribbled down five key indicators on a napkin – heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and color. This simple framework, which would later become known as the Apgar Score, transformed the way medical professionals assessed newborns, providing a rapid method to gauge their well-being during critical moments.

Today, the Apgar Score remains a vital tool used by nurses worldwide as they score infants out of ten, ensuring the newborn's health is promptly evaluated. The idea that such a straightforward solution could emerge from a simple observation and a momentary lapse of focus resonated deeply with me. It was a lesson from my volleyball coach, who grew up in Hawaii and taught me a word that encapsulated this mindset: "puka."

In Hawaiian, "puka" means hole, gap, or opening – the very space that often goes unnoticed in the midst of activity. As I played volleyball, my coach would call out "puka" whenever she spotted an unguarded spot on the court. At first, her words were mere instructions, but over time, hearing that word became second nature. I began to see it not as a mere phrase, but as a reflex – the instinct to recognize a gap, act swiftly, and fill it before anyone else even noticed it.

This innate ability to identify and exploit gaps has become a critical component of my career strategy. Early in my career, I found myself on the sidelines of a major legal trial. As the newest lawyer at a prestigious firm, I was given the seemingly menial task of organizing messy medical records. Undeterred, I rolled up my sleeves and meticulously created color-coded binders for every significant medical issue.

I decoded thousands of pages of chart abbreviations and, with a dolly to transport the materials, ushered them into the trial's war room. Day one, the binders proved to be my first "puka." As I continued to uncover more gaps – the unaddressed problems, operational bottlenecks, and the tedious tasks that no one else wanted to tackle – I watched as my reputation grew.

My proactive approach caught the attention of the trial's lead partner, who, after moving to a larger firm, brought me along with him, a testament to the power of recognizing and filling gaps. This experience taught me that the people who consistently seek out unassigned problems often become indispensable to their organizations.

By cultivating an environment where employees actively search for and fill these gaps, companies can foster an adaptive culture where innovation thrives. In today's rapidly evolving corporate landscape, one of the most pressing gaps is the integration of artificial intelligence. While executives debate high-level strategies, the day-to-day tools remain underutilized.

The gap is not in access but in the application of AI technology. I have seen this firsthand, having once filled a similar void with binders and a dolly. The medical records had always existed, but their true value lay in their organization. Today, AI tools can streamline tasks that previously took weeks, such as organizing medical records for a trial, into an afternoon's work.

This shift in efficiency is not an overnight miracle; it is a result of recognizing a gap and filling it with decisive initiative. By filling gaps with AI-driven solutions, professionals can now focus more on strategic thinking and less on mundane tasks. The key is to maintain a "puka mindset" – one of relentless curiosity and decisive action.

By asking not just what is assigned but what needs to be done, and by filling gaps before they are even recognized, professionals can position themselves at the forefront of innovation. The future belongs to those who see the gaps not as obstacles but as opportunities to make a meaningful impact.