Are You Innovative? Start by Upsetting the System!
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“What we can do – what America does better than anyone – is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We are the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives. It’s how we make a living.”

~ President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address 2011

Those are some big shoes to fill. I am uneasy comparing myself to the likes of Thomas Edison and Mark Zuckerberg in the terms of imagination. Yet, that’s our powerful legacy. Innovation, creativity, inventiveness. These things set us a part as a country and can set YOU a part.

As we all know, innovation is not easy. It always requires a gamble, but what may be even more difficult is that it requires an idea worth a gamble. But if you can invent and innovate, you can create an unmistakable personal presence. A creative person’s worth is great in that creativity cannot be manufactured. Innovation is needed in any field, and it can be used to solve problems.

Creativity often comes from letting go of the past. Stop thinking of how to fix the current system and start thinking of a new system! Albert Einstein is quoted saying, “insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” To innovate, we must be ready to say goodbye to a trusted but not perfect method in order to be ready to create a new method.

Disruptive innovation is a buzzword in many business circles today. Defined as an invention that disrupts current markets, disruptive innovation creates a market by establishing a different set of values. For example, Southwest Airlines is radically different airline. It offers a cheap flight at the expense of a luxurious and glamorous atmosphere. The whole premise is gamble. It hedges on the fact that for some people, cheap transportation is more valuable than glamour.

Start thinking NOW of ways that you can upset the system. What ideas do you have that might be a little ridiculous but could just work? How can you turn the current method on its head?

What instances of disruptive innovation inspire you? What do you think limits your own innovation? Leave your thoughts in the comments.