Archive for: March, 2017

Oil and Water: Why Corporations and Startups Rarely Mix

what you know limits what you can imagine

Illustration by Christian Laborin

There are many  experienced, talented and well intentioned people who are, without knowing, blockers to innovation. I’ve seen and experienced this way too many times, and experienced it again recently while advising iAir Platform; who have developed a potentially ground breaking technology that could be used in the various industries with a wide variety of applications.

How to Practice The Art of The Possible

everything is possible

Illustration by Christian Laborin

Innovative leaders and organizations practice the art of the possible.

What is the key trait all innovators have? Curiosity, which enables them look beyond the obvious and consider possibilities.

Innovation is about new, surprising and better options. You don’t get to see these better options in your mind’s eye without having a positive outlook, yet not every vision survives contact with reality; ideas need to be challenged.

Some people either love or hate the last part.

Are Millennials Not Ambitious Enough?

millennials need more courage

Illustration by Christian Laborin

Technology and millennials get a bad rap. But, whether or not people believe it to be true, rather than being a tool that eliminates jobs and disrupts people’s livelihoods, technology is a tool for progress. But have we millennials, the generation that is often stereotyped as leading the tech revolution, become complacent? Are we doing more than enough?

Tyler Cowen, a top economist says Americans are not nearly as ambitious or innovative as they think on his new book The Complacent Class.

I’ll be Speaking at the Innovation & Creativity Summit 2017

innovation & creativity summit 2017

Hello peeps! Just a quick post to let you know I’ll be speaking at the Innovation & Creativity Summit 2017 hosted by Nick Skillicorn, founder of Improvides Innovation Consulting, from 2 – 9 of April.

Along with 45+ other innovation experts, I’ll share with you my knowledge on how to come up with and develop game-changing ideas as well as how to build high impact teams inside an existing culture.

You’ll also learn to understand your creativity, how to manage innovation and how to create and lead innovation teams. What’s great is that there’s not travel required, it’s all only; and access is free for a limited time only.

So, hurry up if you want to get some knowledge from both other innovation experts and myself.

Sign up for the Innovation and Creativity Summit 2017

 

Companies Don’t Innovate, Markets Do

companies don't innovate markets do

Illustration by Christian Laborin

One of the reasons big companies can’t innovate is they grow inert and can’t match the dynamism of the market. Markets are dynamic, companies are not. It’s very hard for companies to match the velocity, variance and selection of markets. As a business leader, a good question to ask yourself is: Are we changing as fast as the world is changing?

The most common answer is no.

Inspiration Comes from Anywhere

Inspiration Comes from Anywhere

Illustration by Christian Laborin

A common innovation challenge inside established organizations is the Not Invented Here syndrome, where you block ideas that come from outside the four walls of your organization; denying yourself of inspiration and a fresh perspective.

So, as a business leader, how do you overcome this challenge and jump-start innovation in your business? You take to heart and practice the principle of “ideas come from anywhere”, not just the people inside the organization.