| The vast majority of CEOs agree that innovation is | | | | things in new and different combinations. |
| critical to their organizations' success. Companies in | | | | 5. Playfulness - It is when you get "lost in your work" |
| every business sector are working to develop new, | | | | that amazing things begin to happen. Time, |
| better ways of doing business. But if they are to | | | | self-consciousness, seriousness and any sense of |
| succeed in this endeavor, companies must be able to | | | | limitation falls away, and challenges are handled with |
| identify those individuals with the ability to think | | | | ease. The attitude of playfulness is, "Everything is |
| creatively, those with the potential to innovate. | | | | possible." |
| While everyone has the innate ability to engage in | | | | 6. Flexibility - The capacity to suspend judgment and |
| creative thinking, there are seven common traits that | | | | embrace two (or more) seemingly contradictory or |
| innovative leaders like da Vinci, Edison, Henry Ford and | | | | unrelated viewpoints at the same time helps create a |
| Steve Jobs share; seven traits that propel them to | | | | dynamic tension that ultimately stimulates creative |
| think outside the confines of conventional wisdom and | | | | resolutions (solutions). |
| imagine breakthrough concepts that change the way | | | | 7. Persistence - All the creative talent in the world is of |
| you and I live and experience the world. | | | | no value if you give up before the work is done. |
| The seven traits of highly innovate thinkers are: | | | | Persistence, the passion, willpower and enthusiasm to |
| 1. Curiosity - Curiosity is the first step toward discovery. | | | | overcome setbacks and discouragement, allows |
| It is the "beginner's mind," a deep, child-like sense of | | | | innovative thinkers to keep trying new possibilities until |
| wonder about the world, the relationship between | | | | success is achieved. |
| different things and how things work. | | | | Of course, there is no secret recipe for innovation. It |
| 2. Imagination - Before you can develop a new idea, | | | | requires an ongoing commitment on the part of an |
| you must first be able to conceive it, to envision the | | | | organization and the individuals within to relentlessly |
| very possibility that it could exist. Innovation is fueled by | | | | pursue new, better ways of doing business, and to |
| leaps of the imagination, making novel new | | | | never accept anything less than the best possible |
| connections between seemingly disparate ideas, | | | | outcome. But these seven key traits are an excellent |
| concepts or objects. | | | | starting point for building your innovation foundation. |
| 3. Intuition - Making decisions based on facts and | | | | Start to recognize the individuals around you who |
| figures is fine in many instances. But true innovation is | | | | naturally possess these traits, and encourage them to |
| more often born from that internal "knowing," the | | | | make frequent use of them. And nurture these traits in |
| guiding force, sixth sense or gut feeling to follow one's | | | | others who aren't as naturally inclined. Acknowledge |
| instincts, no matter how unconventional or illogical the | | | | and reward creative thinking, responsible risk-taking |
| direction. | | | | and questioning the status quo. And in no time you will |
| 4. Inventiveness - The ability to change the status quo | | | | have fostered a thriving culture of innovation which |
| requires an inquisitive passion for "tinkering." Innovators | | | | can lead to only one thing: greater success. |
| possess the desire to arrange and re-arrange ideas or | | | | |