The Human Element
"Innovation comes ultimately from a diversity of perspectives. So when you combine ideas from different industries or different cultures, that’s when you have the best sense of developing groundbreaking ideas" – Frans Johansson
Innovation begins and ends with people, individuals who have the courage to push the boundaries. It also requires a corporate culture that nurtures and rewards creative thinking, where people feel comfortable enough to voice new ideas, no matter how small. That is where successful leadership comes in. A skilled and innovative leader must be a fearless visionary committed to backing bold ideas.
…letting people know that the quality of their idea, not the stripes on their shoulders is what counts.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE says a leader motivates and inspires by “…letting people know that the quality of their idea, not the stripes on their shoulders is what counts”. Yet in today’s global marketplace, it is no easy task to engage and motivate a workforce made up of so many different age groups, cultures and skills. So how does a leader get all these people onto the innovation train and “see the other end of the tunnel”? According to global engineer Vijay Vaitheeswaran “…everyone one of us has an innovator waiting inside”. In this episode we’ll look at how organisations can harness the diversity of their workforce and unlock the innovator in us all.
Featuring Guests:
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Jack Welch |
Former Chairman and CEO General Electric |
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Gil Cloyd |
Chief Technology Officer, Procter & Gamble |
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Bob Johnson |
Founder, RLJ Companies |
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Tony Hsieh |
CEO Zappos |
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Peter Sheahan |
Gen Y Consultant, Author, "Flip" |
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Frans Johansson |
Author, "The Medici Effect" |
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Philip Yeo |
Special Advisor, Economic Development, |
Viewer comments
Thursday 05 June 2008
I was amazed that none of your panelists would invoke pioneers and giants of innovation such as James Bright and Peter Drucker to name at least two. Much of the foundation of this most crucial topic has been laid out years ago. No new theories have emerged. One simply needs to stand on the shoulders of those great thinkers and learn how to implement those principles.
Dr. S Srinivasan Glastonbury, CT
Thursday 05 June 2008
I was very interested in many of the comments that were expressed on the show today regarding being innovative, having a money making idea that meets the needs of the people, generates sales and being willing to take risks.
The comments reflect what motivated me to invest in two inventions that are not just new ideas. They both are practical and will meet the needs of many as well as generate sales worldwide. J McDonald Location not provided
Thursday 05 June 2008
Thinking outside the box, thinking differently, not getting stuck into one way of thought, etc.
The reason each language has very different grammar is because people think about the same things differently.
This is why it is SO important to use non-english languages and to think in non-english languages.
Many things that work in one culture do not work in other cultures.
And, they should never.
It ruins cultures.
Wal-Mart is an example when they tried to do it the American way in China. They failed.
Thinking differently to any significant extent can't happen in one single language.
If it did, we would be able to cover all bases in the US.
Americans fail a lot more than they should due to not using non-english languages and being unable to comprehend other thought processes that can only truly be done in a different language.
Like on your show, countries that adopt the use of just english, are not innovative, nor will they ever be.
They just regurgitate the same thing that we already have in the US.
They are just slaves, and will never advance.
India is an example.
China, on the other hand, does translate most everything into Chinese, and has a goal of being the world leader in publishing everything from science to novels in Chinese.
I've known people from India and Pakistan who have told me, for example, that there is a bad mindset in those countries that if they use their native language, they are looked down upon compared to those that speak Western languages.
India is even importing Eastern Europeans to use in their advertising because they think the Western looking people are superior to their own.
India needs to start using Hindi instead as their main working and business language to be able to become innovative, and be proud of their culture.
If the language goes, the culture goes. Language accounts for over 50% of a culture.
If people can't feel proud to use their native language and that it is as important as any other, they will NEVER be innovative.
These are inseparable things, like breathing and living.
If breathing stops, life and thinking stop.
Americans are becoming very uncompetitive because they are mono-lingual, and are unable to think and adapt to other cultures. J Everett WA
Thursday 05 June 2008
This was a good show, but I'm disappointed by a few things:
1. Jack Welch is way too old school for a discussion of innovation today.
2. Suzy Welch too!
3. What about Gen X? Are we now totally irrelevant?
4. What everyone said sounds fine, but there is nothing new here. It's what we already know about innovation...push the conversation!
J De Cagna Location not provided
Thursday 05 June 2008
Innovation begins and grows with individuals committments to open collaberation of ideas, thoughts and strategies to achieve measurable results of mutally agreed upon goals and objectives.
J Harris Austin, Texas
Thursday 03 July 2008