Ryan Rosenberg
Tim Bensman
MGT 573
Paper #1
The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun completely changed the way I view creativity. I noticed that we all have creativity inside of us; it is by means of expressing our deepest desires and ideas that we display our creativity to others. Burkun destroys myth after myth about innovation, which had me ready to start inventing my first million dollar idea! Berkun outlines ways to tap into innovation and pulls from history to guide us into the future. His simple and common prose gave me courage to tackle the tough problems. I now feel as though I have a firm grasp on what it means to be an effective creator.
What is the book’s message for managers?
The book’s message for managers is pretty clear. Naturally, managers tend to rely on prior knowledge and experience to guide their decisions. When someone proposes a new idea, it is popular belief that that idea will be shut down because of past failures. With experience though, also comes the knowledge that the same ideas, while effective, don’t always produce the greatest results. Instead of going for the home run idea, it is okay to run ideas that may go against the status quo. Berkun’s message is similar to an athletic coach at halftime. Perseverance, commitment, and messages of encouragement are sprinkled throughout the book. It is paramount that the manager “overcome the following challenges to innovation: the life of ideas, environment, protection, execution, and persuasion” (Ch. 7). In other words, the manager must be willing to depart from the traditional ways of managing and maintaining good business practices; he or she must explore business through the lens of innovation. Creativity and Innovation aren’t concepts that were explaine...
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...r leaders are those who are both as passionate and in touch with the venture’s cause and idea as anyone else. However, the tricky thing for entrepreneurs to watch out for is to place too much value on any singular idea. This often causes us to shut out like-minded individuals and other sources that may improve upon our original ideas and frameworks.
I also really liked the notion as Einstein put it, that “Imagination is more important than knowledge” (Ch. 6). I truly find this to be the opposite of everything we learn through formal education and even in the workplace. We are constantly fed systems of belief and systems or processes of how to be productive in our careers. I believe that if we relaxed this whole notion and allowed individuals to be exercise their own creativity, we would see much wilder and ultimately more dynamic solutions to our everyday lives.
After reading Originals by Adam Grant I was left feeling challenged. Grant brings about many different subjects, from parenting methods to organization, that have an impact on an individual’s creativity. I have never considered myself the most original thinker and I had always dreaded “outside of the box” projects, but Grant’s guidance throughout the book showed that that being a logical thinker and being original are not mutually exclusive concepts, as I had once thought. Instead, when it comes to being creative Grant focuses on how to break away from what he calls “default thinking”. Grant challenges the norms by considering that procrastination is not always the worst option, which I found to be interesting and a little stressful, as I am
Leadership is not a position but an action that is undertaken by an individual. Leadership is not just about giving orders, yet it is the action of serving others. According to Robert Townsend, “A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs” (2013). A good leader will support his or hers employees because a leader is not judged on their own actions, but they are judge on the success of those that they support. In the modern era, we look at business leaders in the same way that historians view military commanders or kings of the past.
A leader needs to “believe” in oneself and have the confidence that whatever you say will excite and what you do can motivate others. You must be optimistic about what you do, do have some relevance for being in existence. Believe it or not, “leadership begins with you”.
What they neglect to realize is that most problems are unpredictable. So when a student faces a challenge not taught in the classroom, they will be incapable of solving or getting out of the situation. Once the formula does not work, creativity becomes a necessity. Some even fear the mere thought of imagination, since new possibilities open up the risk of failure or not being accepted. Students hold back their curiosity once they realize that teachers are unwilling to answer their question if it differs even slightly from the curriculum. These are the exact reasons our youth’s power to create fades. The value of creativity is beyond words; our society thrives on innovation. Take the stereotypical example of Bill Gates—he became a billionaire with the help of his creative thinking. So why would creativity not be the heart of our education system? Simply because there is not enough time or enough people willing to put in the
Edward de Bono utilizes “Creativity Workout” to define creativity and explain why it is one of the most important features a person can possess. Before this can be explored further, however, an unrelenting misconception must be
‘Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere’
Leaders are the individuals who help to create options and opportunities. They help in identifying the choices and solve the problems. They build commitment and coalitions. Leaders do this by inspiring others and working along with them to construct the shared vision of the possibilities and commitments of a better group, organization or community. They engage the followers in such a way that most of the followers become leaders in their own right. The variety of demands of an increasingly complex world very often require that leadership be shared by most of the members of an organization, in appropriate ways for different situations. A leader is the on...
It is about having creative ideas, but to apply them to improve the quality of life, and defend them against the powerful force of social habits. This leads us to make a distinction between creating and innovating. A person can have an original thought but not put into practice we will never know if it can work or not.
The execution and success of any plan, strategy or thought either at an organizational or single individual level depends completely on the level of creativity and innovation involved in the implementation process. The terms innovation and creativity have been incorrectly used interchangeably for a long time because most people lack awareness of their exact meanings, which to confusion in their use. Organizations or individuals that use innovative ideas rather than imitating the actions and strategies of others usually stand out from the rest and remain competitive because they are able to produce unique and quality brands, services and applications, which their competitors can only imagine. Combined with invention, creativity and innovation
Leaders are those who have a great influence on the lives of many people. This is especially relevant in today’s organizations, which face extreme time changes and an increasingly growing complexity (Yukl, 1998).
Kelley,T. (2005, Oct.). The 10 faces of innovation. Fast Company, 74-77. Retrieved 6th March’ 2014 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&sid=1d6a17b7-c5f7-4f00-bea4 db1d84cbef55%40sessionmgr10&hid=28&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=bth&AN=18386009
As society grows and evolves, technological advancements and innovations continue to develop and consistently change different aspects of our society. For an organization, understanding how to manage these innovations is essential for their proper utilization and implementation. With technological advancements and innovations constantly emerging, it is important for an organization to stay aware of which new technological innovations can help them be successful. Organizations are always looking to set themselves apart from competition through innovation.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” (Albert Einstein) Do you agree?
Some creative ideas are amazing, simple and others complex. Creativity is a process, and it improves when a person continually work hard and come out with new ideas. Harris (1998)
We live in an instant access on demand world, but there is no fast track to becoming creative. We are all born creative, but few of us are able to retain that creativity as we get older. And we end up like just another mouse in the maze. A rat in the rat race. Constrained in an imaginary prison created by the unintentional barrier that “I am not a creative person.”