What It Takes to Innovate - Dave Crane

This week, Dave Crane was featured on the cover of Kind Magazine. As an expert of creating a culture of making things happen through his art of communication, his story brought me directly to one word, innovation. Dave is an innovator. Let’s dive into what it takes to innovate no matter what field you’re in, or whatever your purpose may be, as you work to build the best version of yourself.

INNOVATE

With personal growth, there’s no sitting idle. Working to become the best version of you implies constant mindful growth. Those that are awake are able to see the world from a fresh perspective.?

Why can one person that is in the same environment as ten other people constantly come up with innovative ideas while the others get stuck? Because the innovator will find a way to perform better and carry out their vision. This, however, takes the fine tuning of putting several principles together in motion: beginning with awareness, going with your intuition, having self-confidence, and letting loose your creative unconscious. A true innovator takes action but is also smart enough to push the limits all the way to failure. In fact, innovation is the result of maximum failure. If you don’t fail, you’re not pushing your limits. Many fall short believing they’re innovating, but in reality they’re not pushing far enough.

If you think you cannot innovate, you won’t. Your mindset has to be laser focused, backed by courage. When an idea comes to light, the door to innovation will open. It is your job to use all of the tools within you to see it though, knowing you will fail along the way. Keep the goal of your idea in your mind’s eye at all times, as that is the ultimate prize.?

Look around you for a reminder. Any gadget, piece of clothing, jewelry, utensil, electronic device, indeed any fabricated material started with an innovative thought. There is nothing too big to innovate, so don’t cut your dreams short. In fact, there is no dream that you cannot will into reality if you fully embrace it and believe you can carry it through.?

Every great idea was built off of something which has already existed. Open your eyes and explore. It’s perfectly okay to let some existent thing inspire you to make it better. Allow your creative unconscious to work in conjunction with your curiosity. The iPhone exists because Steve Jobs put his innovative energy into action. The thought became a sketch, which became a concept, which became a prototype, which ultimately became the vision intended; however, it took failure after failure, tweaking and finding better ways to see the innovation through.

PUT INNOVATION IN ACTION

Don’t settle. Push yourself and become a doer. Whether your ideas are big or small, don’t sit on them. Today, start taking action by setting your intention for innovative thought and change. If you think there’s a better way to do something, act upon it. It is your duty not to sit on the sidelines and wait, or repeat the act of something that’s not working. To sit on an idea is lazy, selfish and a disservice to humankind. Nothing good will come of that.?

Leaders are innovators. If you’re not innovating, you are asleep and simply going through the motions. Wake up and innovate and become the leader you are intended to be!

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Roger L. Brooks is an American author, podcaster and entrepreneur. Portions of this newsletter are part of his personal growth and development series of writings and his latest book, Build the Best You. To read more of Roger's work, click here.?

Roger is passionate about helping people write their first book. Schedule a call to see if he can help you.