Being honored as a business visionary by Smart Business was truly a memorable night in my career.
During the award presentations, I paid particular attention to each acceptance speech to see if there were core attributes that were being identified as the keys to innovation.
It became clear that each honoree touched on three key elements that played a major role in their success. Here are the key elements.
Love
Without the love and support of your mate and indeed all of the people surrounding you, it is highly unlikely that over time you will make it in life. All of the honorees acknowledged the critical role their mates, in this case, wives, played in their success.
The pathways to success are long, steep and can be perilous. There are always disappointments and setbacks interspersed with personal compromises and inconveniences. If your relationship is creating obstacles, fixing that condition should be the No. 1 priority. Honest, forthright, two-way communications directed to build a foundation of mutual understanding and trust is a good place to begin.
No matter how you characterize your relationships with the people surrounding you, two principles vastly improve relational outcomes: It’s not just about you; it’s bigger than that. And, if you always put in more than you take out, the chances of a happy outcome are significantly enhanced.
Innovation
What is this concept called innovation to which we all pay homage? Can anyone innovate? Absolutely. Is innovation really that important? Yes, it is critical if you want to move forward or stay out in front of your competitors. Do we go to the office thinking, well it’s Tuesday and that’s my day to innovate? Probably not. So, how do we create innovation?
My experience tells me that the best innovators are those that, first and foremost, are always seeking opportunities or identifying problems and are unafraid of failure.
They become experts at asking probing questions and listening intently. They value openness and evaluate the answers through the framework of their education, experience and perspective to help connect the dots, see things that others didn’t see or see the same things but create a different awareness. They become proficient at collaboratively developing best solutions that can result in workable, innovative solutions or useful tools. They uniquely understand that, to be successful, innovation must be defined into a vision, supported by an action plan and achieved by cooperating people with the resources for plan execution.
Anybody can do this, and, with practice and commitment, success can be achieved in both good markets and bad. And the really cool thing — you can start your journey today.
People
The world is full of very smart people who have thought up innovative ideas that go nowhere. Why? The lack of an effective written vision and strategic plan of accomplishment and a failure to put together teams of effective, cooperating people capable of turning the vision into reality.
No matter your mission, it is absolutely essential to surround yourself with creative people and mold those people into effective teams. Effective leadership and creative leaders are essential not just at the top but at all levels within the organization. Great leaders make great teams that comprise cooperating, creative professionals. Great leaders help develop a shared vision, provide resources, responsibility, accountability, and the recognition and rewards to get the job done. It is great teams of creative, effective people that make great, innovative organizations.
In reality, innovation is not just about big ideas. Few of us generate big ideas and no one does it on a consistent basis. It is really about little ideas that, over time, can be developed into exciting innovation.
Understanding what creates innovation and the role love and people surrounding you play in its implementation significantly increases the probability of your success.
Joseph R. Zeno is president of ACS Industries. He was recognized as a visionary at the 2010 Innovation in Business Awards for his innovative approach to reshaping ACS, a manufacturer of couplers and attachment solutions. Reach him at [email protected].