One of the greatest inventors of all time could be argued to be Thomas Edison. Numerous reports have said that he was also one of the greatest innovative thinkers. He was known to always come up with new ideas finding connections and patterns where nobody could see one. For instance, when he was exploring electrical power, he was focused on 40 separate projects. He describes this as his mental kaleidoscope. Imagine what someone like Edison could have done had he had access to enterprise innovation software.
Enterprise Innovation Software and 9 Key Personality Traits
A kaleidoscopic thinker is both an idea generator and an innovator. This is why businesses that want to implement a culture of innovation should find their kaleidoscopic thinkers. They can be recognised because they share nine key personality traits. They are:
- Curiosity. Innovators are hugely curious individuals. They see possibilities and are not limited by probabilities. They ask millions of questions, tinker, probe, and always considered what if. They ask questions that generate more questions.
- Risk taking. Invention is always a risk because it is venturing into the new and unknown. Anyone adversely taking risks will never be a true innovator.
- Critical thinking. A true innovator isn’t afraid to take risks but will not take unnecessary risks. Because they ask so many questions do to their inherent curiosity, they also think critically about whether risk it’s worth it or not.
- Resilience. An innovator knows that they cannot give a 95% chance of success. They know many of the ideas will feel yes they will continue to come up with new ideas.
- Self control. This is important on two levels. Firstly, it is all too easy to get carried away when something does go well. Secondly, a true innovator knows when to put the brakes on or they will end up with a burnout.
- Interpersonal skills. True innovators are people people period they like to talk, I’d like to interact, I like to socialize. They’re instill Trust, respect, and motivation. People want to listen to them because they look up to them.
- Collaboration. Innovators know that they do not know it all. They also know where to find the people who know what they dumb cells do not. They love working together with others, seeing them flourish, and learning from them.
- Dealing with paradox or ambiguity. There are many paradoxes in the world of business such as the fact that we all know people are more important than profit but it seems that for businesses profits are more important than people. Finding a balance in that and being able to manage that is something only a true and innovator can do.
- Working at a fast pace. An innovator is always looking at what the competition is doing and try to make sure that their project will be implemented before that of the competition. This means making quick decisions in rapid succession and working in an incredibly fast pace.