Innovator’s DNA

The DNA of Disruptive Innovators What makes innovators different from the rest of

us?- Is the ability to think creatively generic?- Do they have the cognitive skills of a right

brained?“Think different” and “Act different”:Ones ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the mind, but also a function of behavior. Innovative thinking may be innate in some, it can be developed and strengthened through practice.

Innovator’s DNA: Five Discovery Skills1. Associating2. Questioning3. Observing4. Networking5. Experimenting

Associating Innovators connect the

dots to make unexpected connections. They combine pieces of what may seem unrelated pieces of information from different fields. This phenomenon was described as the “Medici effect”. Example: Steve Jobs is able to generate ideas

after ideas because he spent a lifetime exploring new and unrelated things like calligraphy, meditation, etc.

“Creativity is connecting things.”-Steve Jobs, founder and CEO, Apple Inc.

Questioning Innovators are consummate

questioners who love to challenge common wisdom or status quo.

Innovative entrepreneurs must:Challenge assumptionsImagine oppositesEmbrace constraintsExample: Michael Dell’s idea for founding Dell computer sprang from the question, “Why a computer costs 5 times as much as a sum of its parts?”

“Question the unquestionable”-Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Group

Observing Innovators are intense

observers. They fully watch the world around them- including customers, products, services, technologies and companies- and their observation help them gain insight into an ideas for new way of doing things.

Example: Ratan Tata observed families riding scooters in India and gained a powerful insight that inspired the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano.

Akio Toyoda regularly practices Toyota’s philosophy of genchi genbutsu- “going to the spot and seeing for yourself.”

ExperimentingLike scientists, innovative

entrepreneurs actively try out new ideas by creating prototypes and launching pilots. Three forms of active exploration:1. Intellectual exploration.2. Physical tinkering.3. Engagement in new surroundings.One of most powerful experiments is living and

working overseas. Research revealed that more countries a person has lived in, the more likely he or she is to leverage that experience to deliver innovative product, processes, or businesses. Example: P&G’s A.G. Lafley.

“I haven’t failed…I’ve just found 10,000 ways that do not work.”-Thomas Edison

NetworkingRather than simply doing social networking, innovators go out of their way to meet people with different ideas and perspectives to extend their own knowledge domains.

Example: Michael Lazaridis, founder of RIM, notes that the inspiration for the original Blackberry occurred at a conference in 1987 when a speaker was describing a wireless data system designed for Coke.

“The insights required to solve many of our most challenging problems come from outside our industry and scientific field.” -Kent Bowen, founding scientist of CPS technologies.

Practice, practice, practice! Innovative entrepreneurship is an active

endeavour. Innovators must consistently act different to

think different. By understanding, reinforcing and modelling

the innovator’s DNA, companies can find ways to more successfully develop the creative spark in everyone.