An Innovators Mindset in 2018

A Very Happy New Year! And here's wishing you an innovators mindset in 2018.

A rather unusual choice perhaps, but here's why.

The world we live in is changing faster than we are prepared for--personally or professionally. The days of stability and incremental growth are over.

Most of us will have to re-invent ourselves and/ or our organizations (perhaps more than a couple of times) over the next few years.

And we will therefore need to learn how to be innovators. Or else seek joy in a semi-retired life.

So what is an innovators mindset and how can it be built?

At its very heart, an innovators mindset is one that can see possibilities that do not exist as yet. But how does one do that?

Well it is about managing the interplay between possibilities and constraints. What is important is which one you begin with.

When you start out with possibilities, you open the door for the big leaps, and let your imagination take you to places you haven’t visited before. 

This is the space for creativity. This is the space for innovation.

But it takes courage.

On the other hand, when you start with constraints, you see your world shrink. You can see all that can go wrong, and you protect yourself with the familiar, the tried and tested. This is as true for people as it is for organizations.

Constraints applied to innovation give it just the realism it needs to be grounded. Constraints as the focus gives you a smaller, more constrained life.

Starting with constraints often feels like the safe choice. But in fact in the long run it is the riskier one because it makes you (or your organisation) in-distinguishable from anyone else. Easy to replace and easy to compete with.

It is no surprise then that tools such as design thinking provide space for ideation before weighing these down with constraints. All major innovations have likely emerged through such unencumbered ideation.

So you see when I am wishing you an innovators mindset in 2018, I am also wishing you a life that is full of possibilities, a life that is large and full. A great place to be in 2018.

Happy New Year!

(parts of this article were posted earlier)