“When you attack a problem as though it were solvable, even though you don’t know who to solve it, you will be shocked with what you come up with. Its 100 times more worth it. Its never 100 times harder”
- Astro Teller, Google
The new Operating System is underway....
Here is an amazing OpEd from J.Todd Morley, one of the innovators changing the world via the Blockchain.
Quote of the Month
"If you already know it's going to work, it's not an experiment, and only through experimentation can you get real invention. The most important inventions come from trial and error with lots of failure, and the failure is critical, and it's also embarrassing.”
- Jeff Bezos
Excellence in New Product Development & Portfolio Management
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Quote of the Month
“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or, one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.”
- Warren G. Bennis
Quote of the Month
"The pursuit of 'efficiency' - getting the most with the least investment of energy, time or money - was once a laudable goal, but being effective in today's world is less a question of optimizing for a known (and relatively stable) set of variables than responsiveness to a constantly shifting environment. Adaptability, not efficiency, must become our central competency."
- General Stanley McChrystal
3 Leadership Skills that Foster Breakthrough Thinking in an Organization
Business leaders are being charged with finding new and creative ways to grow their businesses. With that charge comes the need to evaluate how these new and creative ideas come to be. More often than not, the people in an organization are its greatest asset. So why not tap that resource in ways that motivate and energize?
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done in many organizations. Corporate culture, organizational rigidity and even fear can often mute meaningful, profound ideas that can enact change and business growth.
Business leaders have come to realize that the way in which they lead and the way in which their organizations utilize their people need to change.
Below are 3 great ways in which leadership can help bring about change.
1. The importance of authenticity
The more a leader can convey that inner sense of integrity and authenticity, the more the people in the organization will give the leader the benefit of the doubt when things change. It may not be because the leader had a change of mind, but rather the circumstances in the market or external environment have changed. Leaders should convey a sense of confidence and assertiveness, but also let the organization know the risk factors. That’s honesty and authenticity.
2. Merging innovation with a "compass" of reliability
The more feedback mechanisms a leader has, the more people realize that no one person can have the best solution. The more minds on a problem, the better. The best idea may come from someone you just hired who is bold enough and courageous enough to ask a question that no one else asked. Some of the best leaders have the ability to assimilate the ideas and data coming from different sources and incorporate a broader purpose. A Purpose Statement or a Vision Statement in and of itself isn’t a strategy. But it is a compass and leaders using the right language for breakthrough need to provide that compass.
3. Comfort and change never coexist peacefully.
As we look at the pace of change in the marketplace over the next decade, leaders must get comfortable being uncomfortable. Great leaders recognize that an uncomfortable state is OK because it typically means that you’re growing, learning, and allowing yourself to be even more authentic with the groups that you’re interacting with. There is nothing better than for a leader to ask a question that shows he or she doesn’t understand everything. Letting someone explain what the answer is empowers and energizes teams.
Ready to learn more about change and breakthrough thinking? Contact us today.
Quote of the Month
“This inability to manage agreement, rather than the ability to manage conflict is the single most pressing issue of modern organizations.”
- The Abilene Paradox by Jerry Harvey
Quote of the Month
"Channel human creativity into its most productive form. There is no bigger destroyer of creative potential than the misguided decision to persevere. Companies that cannot bring themselves to pivot to a new direction on the basis of feedback from the marketplace can get stuck in the land of the living dead, neither growing nor dying, consuming resources and commitment from employees and other stakeholders but not moving ahead."
- Eric Reiss, The Lean start up