Who are innovators and what do they do?

- Now that we know what innovation is all about, it's important to discuss what innovators do. But before we get there, I want to ask you to think about a few things. First, when you think of an innovator, who do you think of? Picture that person in your mind. Who did you think of? If you're like most of us, you probably thought of a famous scientist or tech leader. Here's another question for you. When you think of innovative companies, what companies do you think of? Some common answers might be like Apple, Tesla, and Netflix. What do these innovators and innovative companies have in common? It's this. Innovators and innovative companies both see and create a new future. They see and create a new future. There's two parts here. First, innovators see. They see a new possibility for the future. They can envision a different outcome for tomorrow from the current state. They're not bogged down with the very present today. Second, innovators create. Just seeing a new future isn't enough. That new future needs to be created. It needs to be made a reality. Innovators do the work of ensuring what they see doesn't just remain a vision, but that it also becomes a real, tangible new future. They make sure their ideas come to life. In other words, innovators disrupt the status quo, AKA, the present. They're saying no to today, and yes to a new tomorrow, a tomorrow they create. Okay, now we know what innovators do, let's talk about who innovators are. When you think of the person you said was an innovator, what makes them an innovator? What are their characteristics? Here's some for you. Innovators are open-minded and love to learn. Innovators are people who are open to alternate ideas or possibilities. They're always learning and integrating those learnings into their work. They are curious. Innovators ask a lot of questions. They're experimenters and tinkerers. Innovators love to try things and experiment. They're not afraid of failure. They'll roll their sleeves up and experiment just to see what happens. They also are willing to take risks. Because innovators aren't afraid of failing, they're willing to try and see what happens. They're also problem solvers. Innovators love coming up with different ways to solve problems, and they're also collaborators. Innovators often have visions that are bigger than what they can achieve on their own, and they need the superpowers of others to see those visions come to life. They're also noticers, highly observant people. They see things that others see, but they see it differently and they notice the details. They're also visionaries. Innovators are able to see new possibilities and new possible futures. And finally, they're creative. They're constantly coming up with new ideas. Right now, I want you to look at the list of all these characteristics, and I want you to think about yourself. Do you have any of these characteristics? Are any resonating with you? I know you have a few of these characteristics and I'd like you to write them down, either in your Notes or on a piece of paper. What characteristics did you write down? If you didn't write any, write creative on your page right now, because we are all creative. What all this boils down to is this. You have innovative potential. Yes, you. You have innovative potential. Let that sink in for a moment. One of my superpowers is being able to detect innovative DNA in people, and I know there is innovative DNA in you.