The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – innovation.
How do innovators come up with new insights or ideas? Innovative entrepreneurs have creative intelligence which enables discovery & experimentation. Our ability to think creatively comes through learning a skill & gaining confidence in our own capacity to create.
Our ability to connect seemingly unrelated challenges or ideas is central to innovation. The ‘Medici Effect‘. Creative explosion happened when the Medici family brought together sculptors, scientists, poets, painters & architects. As they connected & interacted, new ideas blossomed. The historic Renaissance era transformed the culture of the Western civilisation, contributing great meaning to our world. Steve Jobs observed, “creativity is connecting people & things.”
The important thing is not to find the right answer, it is to find the right question. Innovators constantly query common assumptions or beliefs. Most entrepreneurs remember specific questions when they had an inspiration for a new venture or project. Why? Why Not? What If?
Innovative thinkers have the capacity to hold two diametrically opposing ideas in their heads, then successfully synthesise. We impose constraints on our thinking when forced to deal with real-world limitations like talent or technology. Ironically, great questions actively impose constraints on our thinking, a catalyst for out of the box thinking. Creativity loves constraints.
Creators intentionally seek small behavioural details in their environment – customers, partners or competitors to gain knowledge on fresh ways of doing things. They quickly build prototypes & launch pilots, without seeking perfection. Edison said, “I haven’t failed, simply found 10,000 ways that don’t work“. Intellectual exploration is the key, a discovery oriented mindset or culture that fosters curious experimentation.
Very useful tips! I’m excited to implement them soon.