Gut Check Time…When it Come to Business Innovation, Which Direction Do You Want Your Business to Go?

Gut check time – as daunting as the future may be, as the head of your organization, it is something that is likely on your mind a great deal of the time. Knowing when to go with the flow and when to cause a disruption is a crucial part of staying ahead of the competition – but that often doesn’t make business innovation any more comfortable.

Sure, we all want to be wildly profitable, but the real differentiating question becomes how do you get there? Are you going to stay behind to pick-up the commoditized leftovers after everyone else has blown through the market or will you be forward in your thinking and feast on the spoils at the innovative edge?

You know there’s something inside of you that keeps telling you to make some changes. The problem is, you don’t know which road to take or perhaps you think maybe it’s best to just stay on the road you’re travelling at the moment. That is always one option – and obviously the one that involves less risk – but you likely didn’t get where you are today by always taking the safe road…there has always been something to be said for taking the road less travelled…

Here’s the real problem, as human beings we’re all wired to make the safest decisions. The decisions that can be measured and managed and have more predictable outcomes are the easiest to make. They really don’t take any foresight or even much commitment. That being said, likely no one ever accused Bill Gates or Steve Jobs of being safe – and look where their risks took them.

Before you can lead your organization into innovative territory YOU have got to want it. From your business soul, your humane heart and your entrepreneurial mind, YOU have got to want it first. You have to be prepared to make the additional responsibilities of leading the company through the innovation process a part of your daily work life. You have to be prepared to expose your company to financial uncertainty; you might even have to risk the livelihoods of everyone in your organization. And it’s not a temporary assignment or project; it is and will be forever. After all, it’s extremely nerve-wracking to move your company (or even a portion of it) into areas of thinking and procedure that are not measurable and therefore can’t be adequately managed or predicted.

Does that mean this road should be avoided? We don’t think so – at least not routinely. Business innovation is essential to stay ahead of the curve – just look at Apple and Microsoft – but you have to be committed to the changes from the very beginning.

Afraid to take the risk? Perhaps talking with others in a similar position may be the best way to overcome that fear. Innovators Alliance has your back. Call us today at 905-332-0340 or visit us online at www.innovators.org.