Gut check time \u2013 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 \u2013 but that often doesn\u2019t make business innovation any more comfortable.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
You know there\u2019s something inside of you that keeps telling you to make some changes. The problem is, you don\u2019t know which road to take or perhaps you think maybe it\u2019s best to just stay on the road you\u2019re travelling at the moment. That is always one option \u2013 and obviously the one that involves less risk \u2013 but you likely didn\u2019t get where you are today by always taking the safe road\u2026there has always been something to be said for taking the road less travelled\u2026<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the real problem, as human beings we\u2019re 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\u2019t take any foresight or even much commitment. That being said, likely no one ever accused Bill Gates or Steve Jobs of being safe \u2013 and look where their risks took them.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s not a temporary assignment or project; it is and will be forever. After all, it\u2019s 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\u2019t be adequately managed or predicted.<\/p>\n
Does that mean this road should be avoided? We don\u2019t think so \u2013 at least not routinely. Business innovation is essential to stay ahead of the curve \u2013 just look at Apple and Microsoft \u2013 but you have to be committed to the changes from the very beginning.<\/p>\n