CEO’s: Disruption = Innovation

They say that if you look around and you can’t tell who is being hunted, it’s you. Well, if you’re not excited by what’s going on in your sector now-a-days, you might be the prey.

According to Business Insider, “174 US companies have attained the coveted unicorn status this year, meaning they raised money at a valuation of at least $1 billion.”?And it’s not all blockchain either. There are companies capitalizing on cell therapy, battery technology, video game studio, waste management, and every other vertical represented in these brash start-ups. Maybe one of them is in your industry.?

The one thing they all have in common is that they have been built and come of age in one of the most volatile eras in recent times. War, pandemic, bank failures, you know the list. What you may not know is that this is the perfect time to start disrupting your industry. Take my word for it- someone already is in the process of doing just that and you better be one step ahead of them or you’ll be trampled by them in short order.

What is disruption? Well, according to the Harvard Professor who coined the phrase, “disruption is "what happens when the incumbents are so focused on pleasing their most profitable customers that they neglect or misjudge the needs of their other segments." In essence, you need to think like the opposition and see the world, and opportunities as they might.

How can you leverage this volatility and become the disrupter in your vertical? Innovate. Start now and develop a culture of innovation. Stop the excuses and start disrupting right now. That means deputizing your entire company to become innovators. And as newly deputized Disrupters have them start doing the following:

1.????Question Everything – Start asking about how things are done and, more importantly, why they are done that way. Innovation is not a top down process. Everyone can participate and often times those different perspectives shine a light on opportunities that are difficult to see from the Board Room

2.????Creativity is Key – Innovation is actionable creativity. But you won’t get people to be creative if as a leader, you don’t create a safe space to try things and experiment. Remember, it’s "win or learn", not win or lose. Leaders need to foster an environment that allows for the transfer of ideas until they become actionable.

3.????The Best Defense is a Good Offense – Start now. Establish a quick system to begin working on your innovation muscles right now. If you don’t have one, borrow one and then build your own that fits your needs as you move forward. Just remember to keep that pirate attitude.

Whatever you do, don’t batten down the hatches and wait out the storm. You may find that more than the storm has passed you by.

Want to create an instant team of disrupters in your company? Let's talk...sooner than later!