Some Days Have a Theme or Two...

I swear, while browsing and blogging around it seems like some days have a theme.  Today the two themes would have to be “innovate or die” and “stick to your guns”.  As part of the former riff, read Jim Carroll’s rant on what he calls the “Masters of Business Innovation” degree.  I wish there actually was one of these, particularly since legions of MBAs are choking the life out of so many companies.

Anyway, Jim’s tongue-in-cheek post highlights a couple of very important points about creativity, innovation and having and delivering vision… here’s the short list:

• see things differently
• spur creativity in other people
• focus on opportunity, not threat
• refuses to accept the status quo
• bring ideas to life
• has the skill to learn and unlearn
• refuses to say the word "can't"
• accepts challenges with passion and enthusiasm
• embraces change rather than shying away from it
• listens to people who are different then them
• lives for the opportunity to have ideas challenged and debated
• instead of saying "it won't work," asks the question, "how can we make it work?"

Don’t read the piece if if you’re a status-quo lover – you won’t like it ‘cause you’ll get another perspective on how you’re killing companies/organizations.  Whatever you do for a living, I guarantee you the pace of change is quickening, and if you’re wear the status quo like a dirty old blanket, I’d say you either get with the program, or that blanket’s gonna smother you.