archive: creativity

Individually AND Together

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Karthik's Photo

“Individually and Together” — three words I heard this weekend from Will.i.am being interviewed as he fondly remembered the journey of success for his group The Black Eyed Peas. Yes, I am over 40 and a fan of the Black Eyed Peas! As a writer, sometimes you hear a group of words in one context and your mind instantly relays them to another and you know that somehow you must capture that connection on the page. For me, these three words hold the keys to success in the 21^st Century for any business, large or small, local or multi-national. When I was growing up, if a member of a band did something on his or her own, it was basically viewed as defecting. Today, the Black Eyed Peas show us that band members doing their own thing and great stuff with the group is actually great for business. Maybe the Cold War really is over.

How does one reconcile the dichotomy between a world increasingly focused on the individual and simultaneously asking its citizens to work in greater collaboration for the greater good? The problem lies in seeing the two forces as a mutually exclusive. The minute we begin to see them as more alike than unalike we begin to tap into their power. By individually pronouncing ones passions and desires and focusing on what really drives you forward, you are more able to contribute to joint tasks in a selfless manner. It is difficult for many of us to see this because society dictated for much of the last century that you are either out for yourself or you are for the good of others, and never the two shall meet. The missing link is the belief that somehow left to our own devices, we are pre-programmed for choices and behaviors that are unsuitable and against what is good in this world. Based on my experience, this could not be further from the truth.

Leaders today are challenged with how to allow maximum individualism while maintaining a strong thread of common vision between every person in an organization. It’s a bit like the challenge that search engine companies are facing today: how to put a context around what any individual is searching for (based on their individual profile) such that they find exactly what they are seeking and perhaps something even better that they didn’t know existed . . . all the while maintaining some semblance of privacy. When the figure it out, it will be a game changer.

It’s about giving employees back their power of creativity, permission to fail in search of excellence, and the respect that every person on the planet deserves regardless of their role. It’s about leadership with less ego and more personal confidence creating the skills necessary to embrace and lead any group of individuals to their highest potential. It’s about tapping into the personal energy of every member of an organization such that the energy of the group expands beyond the sum of its parts.

In another part of the same interview, Will.i.am spoke of inspiration, indicating that when it calls, you don’t hang up . . . you give it directions to your house. Unfortunately, most of us hang up on inspirational thoughts and chalk it up to another wrong number from Mr. Impossible Dream. When, in reality such inspiration can at any moment become a pivotal point in our lives leading us to create a life full of impossible dreams that come true every day. It’s a mindset that I have been aware of in my own life for sometime now and have slowly been shifting toward, and I will tell you that its power is immeasurable.

So, what does it really take to be a successful 21^st century leader that can relate to each individual and then relate them all to each other? It takes courage to love who you are, to love who everyone else is (regardless of where they are in life), to believe your team can connect the un-connectible dots, and the sincerity and vision to bring everyone together. It takes the courage to know when to go for it and when to do more research. It requires a willingness to take personal risk by really putting yourself out there.

Be the energy . . .

Posted in Courage, business, creativity, leadership, success | 1 Comment »

Being the Best vs. Constant Improvement

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

kaizen

Just as we must be careful of the words we use with ourselves, so as not to unintentionally sabotage our own motivation; we must also be careful with the words we choose to exemplify our commitment to excellence inside our businesses. There is a big difference between a goal of being the best and one of constantly improving and learning. On the surface one might guess that being the best is always the best option, but I beg to differ. The difference is in the mindset. Being the best is a place to get to while always improving is a place to come from.

If your goal is to be the best, then what is there for you to strive for once you’ve reached that plateau? In the 20^th century, being the best was a title much easier to hang onto once attained because change occurred at a much slower pace. Today, you could loose such a tile in a day from one disgruntled customer who was savvy enough and creative enough to reach one million viewers on you You Tube with a story of how he was wronged by your firm. And the kicker . . . it doesn’t even matter if it is true.

If your goal is to be the best, then how do you and your employees feel when you are not the best? You probably feel as though you are failing in some respect. Sure, that bit of anger and resentment toward the one who is the “best” may fuel some extra time at the office, but it is also affecting your mindset and your ability to really come up with that next great idea that might in fact land you top of the heap.

If you goal is to be in a state of constantly improving and forever learning, then it really doesn’t matter who is perceived as the best on any given day, you and your team are always looking for that next edge. There is no anger, no resentment, and no feelings of failure to cloud anyone’s mind, judgment, or motivation.

Excellence comes from doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well with energy and enthusiasm as if they were the most important job in the world. This is the key to excellence. Everything counts no matter how big or small a role it plays. Little things add up to big things. Your energy when you complete the ordinary will dictate your energy with the extraordinary opportunities come your way. It’s the same reason why some people seem to get all the opportunities? They don’t really; they are simply ready to greet them when they arrive.

Never loose your desire to learn, or tire of improving yourself ~ from artist Jane Farr who has joined Ancora Imparo (Italian for I am still learning) and Kaizen (Japanese for being in a continual state of improvement) in the beautiful drawing above.

Posted in business, creativity, leadership, success | No Comments »

Realistic Impossibilities

Friday, January 8th, 2010

This week YURU is guest blogging on Blogging Innovation, a leading innovation and marketing blog from Braden Kelley of Business Strategy Innovation. We are honored to be a guest blogger as this is one of the best places on the web to find latest discussions on business innovation.

Click here to read Realistic Impossibilities

Posted in business, creativity, strategy, success | No Comments »

What Does the Debate on Climate Change Have to do with 21st Century Business Models and Global Economic Development?

Friday, December 18th, 2009

think create exp

The short answer is EVERYTHING. The long answer is what this post is all about. These are three of today’s most pressing issues that are all too often discussed in a vacuum. The best progress will be made at the margins where each of these pressing issues overlap. When we begin to see them each as an integral component of global economic progress and prosperity and not discrete issues, much will be gained.

Perhaps the inclusion of 21^st century business models is a surprise to many lumped in with the other two that get a lot more focus and media airtime, but please notice that I use the predication “21^st century”. If we want to do something about the ramped greed and selfish strategies that exist in many of today’s firms, then it must be added to the mix. If created correctly, new and improved business models can be a large part of the solutions to climate change, global economic development, and their own perils of decreased employee morale and disgraced public opinion.

They all require new, passionate, and innovative solutions. In fact, we must assume that the very best solutions are not yet known. Thus, the solution frameworks that are being bantered around today need to accommodate the unknown solutions of tomorrow. It’s beyond out of the box thinking and into a world without the constraints of boxes of any sort. It’s about unleashing the mass of untapped potential and productivity that lies dormant inside people and organizations around the world.

They are each integral to the success of the others. Slowing population growth in the developing world is one of the keys to avoiding a climate catastrophe down the road. Economic development and the creation of a middle class is the most effective way to slow population growth in the developing world. Private sector ingenuity is key to new technologies that will reverse the current trajectory of climate change as well as promote economic development in the developing world.

Alignment is key to effective solutions in each case. Businesses are learning how to align their shareholders, employees, customers, and the public in ways that will dramatically increase productivity. When transparent alignment and partnerships are created between foreign aid, domestic and foreign private investment, and public money, global economic development will become significantly more efficient and effective. Unless we properly align the big players in the world on climate change soon, it will likely suffer the same fate as the Green Revolution in Africa.

The most successful businesses models in the 21^st century will be those that realize contributing to the creation of new markets is a winning long-term strategy, that focusing on something besides growth and profits is the key to engaging employees and winning the hearts of customers (yours as well as your competitors), and that how you decide to be in the world can be just as important, if not more important, than what you sell.

Too often when these topics are discussed in the media, there is too much focus (in my opinion) on the facts known today which narrows the conversation and too little focus on what we want to create. In other words, discussions and potential solutions are being filtered based on what we know how to do today and not on whether or not they fit what it is we are trying to create. All great movements start with an unadulterated view of what should be created, if anything is possible. There isn’t much humans can’t do once they set their minds to it. Some things take a few months and others a few generations. The problem is that we sometimes lack the belief that it can be done, which ends up being the biggest thing that holds us back from succeeding.

Posted in business, creativity, economy, global, political, strategy | No Comments »

Thinking Without the Box

Monday, October 12th, 2009

WBF09-convert-2

QUESTIONS FROM THE WORLD BUSINESS FORUM 2009

Questions are so much more intriguing than answers!

We can’t create a new business model that will be effective in the 21^st century, accounting for its unique set of challenges, by “thinking outside of the box”. It’s high time to obliterate the box! As long as the box continues to exist, some form of the current outdated business model that has changed little in the last 150 years, will remain. That was my biggest take-away from this year’s World Business Forum 2009 held in New York City last week.

The program was impeccably executed with a tremendous variety of speakers all with very timely messages. And, Radio City Music Hall . . . well, it’s just hard to beat. Rich in history and character and perfectly suited for this event. If you missed the conference this year, be sure and sign up for next year, World Business Forum 2010.

So how do you go about getting rid of the proverbial box? It is hard enough just to get people to think outside of the box, how can we possible get rid of the box? The reality is, that the box is the very thing that is holding us back. The box is a framework that is often hard to look past when it is staring you in the face. We are stuck in a business model born 150 years ago during the Industrial Revolution, and it simply no longer provides what is needed for businesses to continue to flourish. It felt to me as if the World Business Form was challenging us . . . challenging us to have enough courage to ask the following question, and the creativity to experiment with the answers.

Is there a better model for business success that provides an environment where creativity and connectivity flourish and capitalism can better align with the innate well being of humans such that its full potential can be realized?

Let’s explore a new era of capitalism and what a new and emerging business model might look like. One that focuses on alignment and the inherent values and desires of human beings to not only be economically successful but also to be compassionate, responsible, and create connections to others in the world. Through such alignment we will actually become better capitalists because we will have exploited its full potential. When we realize that not using known medical technology to vaccinate children in third world countries against life threatening diseases because they cannot afford to pay full price is actually a choice, and not a permanent side effect of capitalism, then we are free to make a different choice.

Traditional business must adapt or it will perish. It can either embrace the change and garner all the goodness that comes with it, or it can go down fighting. Either way, a shift is in the making, and the corporate world will never be the same. And do we really want it to be the same? In fact, we’ll discover how a change in our mindset about business and capitalism is precisely what is required for the next wave of growth.

Without these changes, the next cycle of growth will be more like a small hill rather than the mountain we all hope it will be. We can all do better and learn together, because the reality is that we are all locked into a global economy whether we like it or not. An increase in productivity may be the only way to grow in the future for many industries, and we are not going to get there by any of the traditional methods. In the past we have been able to rely on finding cheaper inputs, dramatic increases in consumerism, and population explosions. In the twenty-first century it will take engaging an otherwise half engaged workforce who is secretly longing for the inspiration to put the pedal to the medal. It will also require engaging your customers and the communities in which we all reside.

The world is made up of evolving societies. As the desires and dreams of the individuals that make up those societies change, so must the businesses and economic systems designed to meet them. At the moment there is a bit of a disconnect. It is no longer about more stuff, but about deeper, stronger, and even emotional connections. Population trends, the evolution of human psychology, and passing the peak of consumerism will dictate this new direction.

What will drive the next big movement in the world of capitalism? What will create the next wave of competitive advantage in the market place? What will the next Microsoft do better than everyone else? What seems awkward now but will seem a no-brainer 20 years from now? What will make going to work an adventure instead of a chore? What will expand capitalism such that its benefits are more than we can currently contemplate?

An obliteration of the BUSINESS BOX and THE POWER OF CONNECTION!

Posted in business, creativity, global, leadership, strategy | No Comments »