The Innovator

We are each born with certain innate talents that, if consciously employed, can bring us to remarkable achievements and personal fulfillment. I've been accused my whole life of never being satisfied. I'm always poking and prodding and looking for a different way to see or do something. It's in my nature to explore and innovate. I love the undefined space of possibility...the gap between what is and what could be. In this place and moment of uncertainty, everything is possible. For me, that's an aphrodisiac.

But, I've also learned another lesson about innovation. It's only real if you take action on it; otherwise it's just minds' play. I can't tell you how many inventions I've conceived and thought, "This is so cool, I know this would be valuable to others." And then I did nothing with the idea. Sure enough, within months, the idea was a reality out in the world. Someone else didn't hesitate when the thought visited them - they took action. And that's the difference between fantasy and results. Action.

Over the course of my life and career in inspiring others to reach for their personal stars, I've created numerous programs, products, and services to feed that end. I find that most of us just need a reminder and the reality of a higher form of life experience comes that much closer. So, I look for the form of the reminder that will help most.

I have no illusions that I'm the source of another's enlightenment - they each pull from their own inherent wisdom. But, I can provide a stimulus for that wisdom to become conscious. For this purpose I've created inspirational card decks (Sprouts), guided meditations, eBooks, printed booklets, and have published The Sequoia Seed: Remembering the Truth of Who You Are. All these personal growth tools can be found at www.wrightminded.com/products.html.

Beyond physical tools that encourage discovery, I love the process of brainstorming and creating something from nothing. It's unfortunate that most brainstorming sessions I've been part of in business unknowingly limit the outcome by following a process that forces competition among the creative ideas shared. Typically, the early part of brainstorming is governed by the rule: no idea is impossible. But, once the idea stream runs dry, the picking and choosing begins. Good ideas are thrown out because, on the surface, they appear to be less reasonable than other ideas. Soon, all that creative brainstorming is whittled down to a measly pittance of options - most of which are far from inspiring. You can feel the energy in the room drop dramatically when the selection begins.

Instead, I encourage that no idea is eliminated at all. That instead of making individual ideas compete head-to-head against one another, we weave them together to create even more robust and exceptional ideas. Take part of one and combine it with another. Highlight the fantastic and minimize the mundane. This is the best part of brainstorming - the part most every facilitated process misses. The real "creative" process. This is where magic happens - to the results AND to the people involved. No one's idea is toss out like a rotten sack of potatoes. Rather, they become the resources for the next level of innovation and imagination.

I've seen over and over, groups who'd hoped for a baby step forward in improvement make a quantum leap into a totally different level of business potential. What it does to the human spirit is amazing! People get involved personally. Diversity of thought is golden. Petty differences and fear-based bickering is left in the dust of a whirlwind of possibilities.

Today's business climate demands that we seek and expect more than incremental improvements in business processes and growth. We're talking exponential expectations. The global competition demands excellence. Does this describe your company? It could - without investing another dime. The capacity lies within the workforce you now have. The trick is accessing that discretionary drive and fully engaging what you already have: the world's most magnificent creative force - the human mind.