Tinkering is innovation

Not everyone is a creative genius. Not everyone can pull a rabbit out of a hat, create something from nothing, dream up fantastical new inventions. Believe it or not, I’m in that boat, just like most of you. I am less inventor, more tinkerer.

Tinkerers are different to inventors. Tinkerers take things and, ideally, make them better. The tinkerer looks at a plethora of different ideas and disciplines and finds ways to bring them together. A tinkerer is an innovator.

Over the weekend, I built a new desk for myself out of PVC piping parts I had laying around and an old door.

I saw instructions for the project on Instructables, then tinkered with the recipe until it worked for me. I reduced the height, changed the placement of the legs, and drilled cable holders and power straight into the door.

That’s innovation: I didn’t make anything from scratch. Instead, I took what I had and adapted it.

In my new book, Leading Innovation, we’ll discuss how you can build similar successes in your life. This isn’t about mimicking me — to quote Oscar Wilde, you should “be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.” That said, my goal is for you to learn to apply ideas I’ve discovered to your own skills and aptitudes, then take these into your organization.

Discover how to build on your strategic position and architect a plan to infuse innovative practices throughout your organization.

I’ve called my innovation path the Plus (+) Path. When you use it, when you find it in your own life, you’ll unearth a clear path to career and organizational success.

Leading Innovation will show you the path to building a scalable, innovative organization and a dynamic, successful career.

Buy your copy today!