10 Innovation Proverbs for Leaders

I received this from Joyce Wycoff a long time ago. It's interesting that what many people claim as “innovation” would not qualify as innovation according to below.

  1. PEOPLE do innovation.
  2. Innovation means doing something that has not been done before. By definition there is risk involved. No risk; no innovation.
  3. Innovation is a win-win process. It creates new value for the customer and the organization.
  4. Innovation is a team sport. Teams are built around a common objective and trust.
  5. Innovation requires risk. Risk-taking requires trust. Trust requires honesty and openness.
  6. Innovation requires energy. Energy comes from challenges that excite the imagination.
  7. Innovation is about creating the future. Cost-cutting and downsizing are about fixing the past.
  8. Innovation is not just a rah-rah word or fad. It is an investment in the future that requires new processes, time, energy, commitment and resources.
  9. Innovation requires new information — from co-workers, customers, suppliers, competitors and from the world.
  10. Innovation requires time — time to think, time to tinker, time to talk about possibilities and ideas. Down-to-the-second controls can kill innovation.

by Joyce Wycoff

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“All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous, unpremeditated act without benefit of experience.” Henry Miller

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