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Thinkers360

Successful Innovation Is a Matter of Willpower

Mar15



Innovators have to be open. They have to be able to imagine things that others cannot. But crucially, they are willing to take social risks to do things that others might disapprove of. You have to stick out your neck. 

When you share your ideas with others you will probably get a lot of negative reactions like: No, it’s always done this way... No, customers won’t like that! No, we don’t have time for this… No, it’s not possible... No, it's too expensive! No, let’s be realistic… No, that’s not logical… No, we need to do more research… No, there's no budget… No, the finance department won’t agree... No, the market is not ready yet... No, it might work in other places but not here... No, that's way too risky... No, it doesn't fit our strategy... No, that’s for the future..

The single biggest obstacle in innovation is one small word: ‘no’. In 1928 it was the famous economist Joseph Schumpeter who wrote, “Successful innovation is a feat not of intellect but of will”. Real innovators turn the ‘Nos’ into ‘Yesses’, as innovation does not stop at the first no; that’s the moment it really starts.

By Gijs van Wulfen

Keywords: Design, Innovation, Open Innovation

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