failure
(Preparing For) A Failure of Imagination
With organizational failures, the imagination is often at fault. We can’t imagine things going wrong, so we don’t plan for them. Organizations can’t imagine that their employees would do something unethical, so they don’t have policies in place to prevent it. Owners can’t imagine that a natural disa
Innovation in Education: What’s Old and What’s New
The world our kids will need to compete in is radically different from the world ten years ago. The old adage about education that “what was good enough for you when you were a kid is good enough for today” gives comfort and justification that everything is fine. Everything is not fine. Our schools
Be Willing To Be Weird
Below is the video and transcript for my commencement speech at ITU last month. The topic of the speech was on the entanglement of fear, failure and conformity. To be successful, we all must be willing to be weird. Be different. Use our creativity to win in the emerging creative economy. Note: The f
Impatient Innovators: 5 Hurried Innovations That Failed
Being told to “have patience” can be a major buzzkill in pursuing potentially innovative ideas. Nobody wants to hear that they’ll need to wait to see their innovations take hold and achieve success. Businesses have a schedule and a budget. They have investors and stakeholders. The pressure to apply
Leadership Failures and the Innovation Lessons Learned
Individuals in a position of leadership have a heavy weight of responsibility on their shoulders, particularly when it comes to the innovation process. Breaking the laws of innovation can cause the entire process to crumble. Learning from the leadership failures of others can offer some insight into
How To Create Resilient Innovation Processes That Don’t Fail When Stressed
It’s times of stress that really test the strength or weakness of your organization. During stressful times, you learn what the people in your organization are made of—but also whether the systems, functions, and processes you’ve put in place are resilient to withstand the crises that inevitably com
What Can Children Teach Us About Creativity?
Some adults tend to think that creativity is something you are born with. But, the truth is we are all creative. If your creativity seems to be at a stand still, I invite you to think about what we can learn about creativity by observing children. I just came back from our vacation with our […]
Is the fear of failure killing your creativity and hindering your success?
If you look at any of your favorite creative projects, you will see a polished gem staring you in the face. And this is where most people stop. The final product is so amazing that it intimidates them. Fear and doubt paralyze their minds, their thoughts become jumbled. And they forget the most i
5 Innovation Failures That Changed the World
On some level, we are all afraid of failure. It’s a natural instinct to want to succeed, to be proud of your work, and to brag about your accomplishments at class reunions rather than being reminded of our failures. Each life must come to a little failure. Your project may tank in the 11th hour. […]
Could Your Innovation Failure Be Innovation Progress?
Is innovation failure a contradiction? Innovation leaders and analysts say no. Venture Capitalist and Forbes writer Henry Doss observes that “…failure is a feature of highly innovative organizations….[T]here is a strong correlation between failure and innovation.” According to Doss, in a culture whi
