Innovation, You, and Me

Ooooh INNOVATION! Such a hot topic - specifically in business. If you're looking for that perspective, this article will give you plenty to chew on, and this article will walk you through how to bring innovation into your business or organization. 

Yet, there's another perspective that is often overlooked: we all have ideas, and with each idea, there is a chance for innovation. Innovation has a place in all aspects of life - for us all, young and old. Innovation is all about changing perspectives, whether our audience contains customers or people in our local or global community whom we want to impact – even our own self!

INNOVATION REQUIRES COURAGE!

In a world that conditions us all to follow along and play roles that suit others, it is difficult to trust in our own ideas when they seem to be outside of what everyone else is thinking.

Yet, the very nature of innovation suggests that innovative ideas are held by a stark minority – oftentimes only one person (you or me, her, or him) – and it will require courage to free ourselves from how daunting this may seem. In this brilliant article, The Levo League reminds us that innovation “only survives when people believe in their own ideas.”

BELIEVE IN YOUR IDEAS!

For our ideas to become innovation, we must act on them. We can’t act on ideas we aren’t fully behind or vested in and expect maximum outcomes. Once we’ve found the courage to believe in our own ideas, it takes even more courage to act on these ideas. 

I completely agree with Simon Sinek: “What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.” What we decide to do, needs the ups and downs of action and practice – mixing it up, getting it wrong and right – to turn our ideas into innovation. As we innovate, we must remain courageous with the ebbs and flows of life, our learning curves and victories, as well as others’ judgement of our ideas.

​​Have the courage to get out there and innovate the world with your ideas!

Organizations, companies, communities, and societies all need courage to produce environments that encourage innovation.  To have the benefits of innovation, we need to prioritize "empowering, supporting, incubating and highlighting the people who are gutsy enough to share and deliver on new ideas that only they can see."

Even when resources are plentiful, groups of people find it a challenge to encourage the dissonance that innovation requires because it doesn’t support group think and team play. It takes courage to prioritize resources for this effort; the programming and training alone can be costly in terms of money, staff, energy, focus, etc.. Nonetheless, the groups of people who choose to be this courageous will be the most innovative.

Yet, even without resources there are meaningful things we can all do to encourage innovation in ourselves and those around us. We can incorporate elements of curiosity, exploration, and experimentation in everyday life. We can respect and encourage different perspectives and lens. Sometimes it is just that simple.  I am known to say:  "when you strip someone of their voice – employee, child, earth neighbor –  you say NO to innovation."

DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES GIVE RISE TO INNOVATION!

The easiest way to innovate is to be our authentic self and share our perspective. No one can see what we see, give what we can, or impact what we can.  The diversity that we bring to the table as individuals and with our perspectives produces the innovative value in our ideas.  This also means that the more diversity we engage with while developing our idea, the greater our innovation.

​​Great ideas are born of diversity. Give the world you!

Thomas Edison said: “There’s a way to do it better – find it” and it was this perspective that led him to give the world his great innovations.   Many people do not realize how innovative they can be.  When we see a way to do it better - this is innovation!

Use what frustrates you in this world to find a better way — the world will be better for it!
It is easier to find a way to do it better when we take the time to think about things from various perspectives – diversity.  When we do, it is easier to come up with impactful ideas and insights; it is easier to innovate.

WE CAN ALL DO IT!

Our Perspective

Our authentic, unbridled selves – our unique perspectives – will come up with innovative ideas. To innovate, we must be courageous and tap into who we were before we became afraid to have a view and a voice. If we’re not comfortable seeing things our own way and voicing insights that come from our perspective, we simply cannot innovate!

​​We are born curious and creative; we are meant to engage with our own lens!

Others’ Perspectives

Incorporating others’ perspectives while pursuing our innovative ideas will create the best environment for the idea and those interacting with it.  To innovate, we must anticipate conflict and prepare to enhance our ideas as we engage with the diversity of others’ perspectives.  We start with curiosity, then move forward with the courage to gain diverse feedback from conflict, and finally innovate by using creativity to increase the value of our ideas.

​​There’s no innovation without curiosity, conflict, and creativity! Get real comfortable with all three.

We need to get comfortable – at home, at work, in public, within ourselves – WE CAN DO IT; we’ve always been able to do it!

NEXT STEPS

Ask yourself –

• Am I believing in my own ideas enough to really make an impact?
• Do I have a view and a voice, and if I don’t, why?
• Do I have enough courage to share my ideas and get diverse feedback and engagement?
• Am I approaching and pursuing my ideas from different perspectives.
• What areas of my personal and professional lives frustrate me; do I have a unique solution for what frustrates me?

​We can choose courage in this battle of love and fear. We can dare to innovate using our own lens. No matter how small our innovation, we truly CAN change the world!  Active visionaries and dreamers off all ages have the courage to use their lens to change the world; they embody perspective, live ideas, and exude innovation. 

Ebony L. Green is a certified coach who is the creator and founder of the Desire Choose Act™ signature series of coaching & training programs that help you own, celebrate, and monetize your difference.

#CoachEbonySays: I specialize in connecting people with their Whole A.S.S.™ Authentic Self. I want you to stop being ashy out here in your life - personally and professionally. I am here so you can REALLY start securing the bag of self-love, self-care, and self-shine!

If you are ready to start stepping into the shoes of your desired Future Self, schedule your free consultation today!