Innovation: What's Stopping You from Success Today?

What if I asked you to come up with a million dollars by the end of the week for a business deal? Chances are you would tell me that I am crazy. You may also think that there is no way you could come up with a million dollars in such a short period of time.

Now imagine if your daughter or granddaughter, who you love so much, is very sick. And the doctor tells you that she will die this month unless she gets a rare treatment which costs a million dollars and is not covered by insurance.

You will do whatever it takes—right? If the doctor says it costs a million dollars, it doesn’t matter. It won’t be easy, but you will find a way to get the money.

What changed? In the first scenario you had no incentive, but in the second scenario you became unstoppable. The spark of passion ignited the fuel.

A company that I am now consulting is known for their innovation. But innovation is not creativity-there is a difference. Creative people have new ideas, but they are not necessarily innovators. People who “do” new ideas are innovators. Successful companies like my client have creative people and doers, and they have a few people who create and do.

There is no doubt that creativity is a critical human resource for any company or organization because without it there would be no progress, and we would remain right where we are.

I have found that some people who are creative become so passionate about it that they become driven to innovate. Instead of saying this will never work, they say what if it does work. These people find a way rather than saying it can’t. All it takes is one idea to solve a problem.

But in order for this to happen, a company might have to change. The company I am working with changes, and it is successful because of that. Because in companies like this, if you don’t change, you won’t last. And this is completely contradictory to common thinking in today’s world, because with success comes arrogance. Companies believe that what they did yesterday will be sufficient well into the future. The fact is that the most successful companies of the future will be doing things that no one has thought of today.

If you don’t believe this, think back twenty years. Who were the biggest companies? Who are the biggest ones today?

If you are ready for change, challenge and creativeness, you are ready for growth. This type of mindset changes how you see problems. Because every innovation is a solution to a problem. Problems are not issues to be feared, they are opportunities to be embraced.

And many great innovations are solutions to problems that we didn’t know that we had. Honestly, I didn’t know that I would want a device in my pocket or on my wrist that would listen to me 24 hours a day, play music, give me the stock market updates, monitor my heart rate, give me the weather forecast and send me whatever I order from Amazon.

I have consulted with many companies who made this statement: “If we only had more money or people or access to capital, we could do so much more.” But the truth is that innovation has more to do with the leadership of the company than it has to do with money. I tell them, “If you believe you can’t, you won’t.” Having more is not always better. It could be worse. Because people slow things down and more time makes us lazy. More money can also lead people to buy solutions, rather than create them. Many innovative companies are startups or mature companies who enforce restraints on resources to force innovation.

I was recently asked by a client if I could outline an innovative culture for him. So here is what I told him. An environment of passion creates motivation. So be passionate in your leadership. Emphasize the passion as you present the vision, mission, and core values. But be genuine, your team will see right through you if it is all a show. I have seen that, and it failed miserably. Secondly, don’t discourage problems-welcome them. They are opportunities in disguise. As problems are solved, innovations happen. Train your team to be problem solvers. Lastly, limitations often reveal opportunities. In fact, limitations help you see things that you might miss.

Have you ever bought a car and as you drove it around you noticed that exact same car? It happened to me this week. I swear, those cars were not around me mast week! Or maybe they were but I didn’t have the same mindset to look for them. Limitations and passion have a way to change our eyes and minds.

As a child, I was told by my father that drawing on a blank piece of paper was a waste of time. Fortunately, something inside me told me that that was not true. I have emphasized creativity with both of my sons. And I absolutely love it when my grandson shows me some new game he created on his PC or when my granddaughter shows me a picture that she drew. Being creative and passionate and not being limited is critical not only for children, but also for the leadership of companies.

Peter Drucker once said, "If the change on the outside is greater than the change on the inside, the organization will fail. An established company which, in an age of innovation, is not able to innovate is doomed to decline and extinction.”

So, there I was, in the boardroom of my client where he presented a new idea for the company which he was very passionate about. There was a fast-paced conversation and an upwelling of support was just about to happen. Then one board member weighed in with the following, "Let me just play devil's advocate for a minute.”

Six months later a prime competitor implemented the idea, and it was a home run! New ideas will face resistance. But keep working through new ways to accomplish your mission, and not reasons to stay the same. And when the devil's advocate speaks up, make sure that you give the devil a challenge.