Finding and grooming breakthrough innovators have been the key to successful firms. More often people replicate previous best practices of their seniors or counterparts. But breakthrough innovators don't even rely on their own previous laurels to replicate success.
What do breakthrough innovators look like:
- High cognitive ability, and analytical skill
- Ability to focus on important data and separate it from peripheral issues attached to it.
- Restless and never content with their success. (Creative envy)
- Ridiculously socially aware of their surroundings at all times.eg: someone who able to walk into a meeting full of customers, investors, bosses, vendors, workers and quickly discern each ones motivation.
- Persuasive and charming
- Ability to garner organizational support for an innovative idea which might sound obscure to everyone else.
- Extremely curious
- They are efficient in managing tension between their independent mind and their social engagement with colleagues
By definition an innovator must access resources and recombine ideas in ways that are unfamiliar to the organization. Doing so moving beyond the conventional boundaries and safety of the existing position ,which can be a lonely experience. At the same time innovators must be able to bring the knowledge they have gained back to traditional hierarchies , which can be frustrating. After reading this article the first name that came to my mind is Steve jobs , I wonder if Apple would find his replacement.
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