Change is the new status quo.

There was a time when maintaining the status quo was a good thing. Especially if you were rich and famous. The whole system was invested in keeping things just as they were. Any disruption was seen as inconvenient, problematic.

 But today, the opposite is the case. Maintaining the status quo connotes treading water, running in place, laziness. In order to survive today companies must shake it up -- innovate -- in order to remain ahead of the pack. This derailing of the status quo can take different forms: the launch of a new, less expensive or easier-to-use product or service to overtake the existing market leader, the introduction of a surprising new approach that repositions the brand, or a genuine innovation that changes the way we as a society do a routine task. This type of “disruptive innovation” is happening all around us and has become the expectation.

Innovation is essentially how a company evolves to address opportunities of the future. And established businesses are actively embracing this philosophy of disruption in order to break free from the inertia that the status quo can bring. In fact, seeking growth or distinction is perhaps the best way to stay alive as barriers to entry become less onerous. Domino’s, the pizza company, famously became a “technology company that sells pizza.” And, by focusing on its technology infrastructure, successfully left its smaller competitors in the dust. 

It’s no coincidence that global brands like Samsung, Unilever and GE are also nurturing innovation by creating their own accelerators to discover and invest in the latest technology and entrepreneurial thinking, to benefit themselves and the industry at large.

No longer are the “best” companies those whose future earnings are entirely predictable, whose long-term growth is a given, slow and steady. Rather, “best” is defined in terms of innovation, continuously evolving as the pace of change has accelerated. Pivots are the way of the world and change is the new status quo. For companies looking to stay ahead of the game, being cognizant of these new entrants is an imperative -- whether emerging technologies, new ‘takes’ on old ideas or re-imagined business models.

 A recent report that examines the impact of digital disruption on global enterprises and markets, “Start-Up Innovation: Inspiring Business Transformation,” revealed that 98% of global business leaders believe traditional markets are being disrupted by new entries into the category. 

Disruption isn’t just a factor at the organizational level. It’s also increasingly part of each person’s professional journey. For example, in the past, employees would spend their lives at one job, and know that the company would recognize their long years of service. Today, on the other hand, zigzagging is a strategy. Employees can better their situations, improve their salaries, change their areas of focus, all by leaving one company for another and bringing what they’ve learned.

The upshot? Disruption, whether it applies to business or to our own lives has become the new status quo, propelling us forward in unexpected but uniquely satisfying ways.