Escape Innovation If You Can!
What do you do when you’re at the edge of the water and you see a huge wave coming your way? There are only two things you can do: “run from it” - inevitably getting swallowed and thrown head first into the sand, eventually swirling and tumbling and swallowing some sand-infested salty water. Or, dive into it face forward like a pro swimmer.
Ultimately, some see the wave coming from far beyond where they’re standing, and by the time it hits, they ride it confidently, while watching the world from a few meters above sea level. Wouldn’t we all want to be that person?
That crashing wave is what companies face every day. It is a change that has happened since the beginning of time, but is becoming more frequent with each year. Change always represents the future; “what will be different tomorrow”? And to answer that question, business leaders have to be ready to quickly change what they’re doing today to cope with what tomorrow needs. This is what innovation is all about.
Innovation is not about changing your company’s vision, but constantly re-examining what your company is doing to attain that vision. It is keeping an eye on that big wave that will soon come rolling and how you will dive into it and come up on the other side with a product or service more suited to the ever evolving market.
Stories of how companies have failed because they refused to innovate when it was absolutely necessary are endless. A lack of innovation can knock down a company right from the top of the success ladder and wipe it off the market completely. That is why considering innovation as a second priority is a big mistake.
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