Innovation. We need it. People want it. 

Why? 

To make things better. To make life more beautiful. To cure ills. To help us do things that need to get done. To help us see what has yet to be seen. 

Where does it come from? 

From leaders of course. Not those in authority. Leaders. People who step up. People who listen for needs. People who yearn to see something better. People who are curious and want to know. Leaders. 

And why not those in authority? 

Because authority largely abdicates leadership in favor of management. And management wants results that can be measured. Management wants gains now. Management doesn’t want to risk. Management wants sure things because sure is safe and safe is living another day.

So, where can we find leaders? 

Many are right under your nose. They’re on the factory floor. They’re answering the phones. They’re standing with customers listening to their needs, wants, and pains. They are curious and creative because they have to be to do the job. They are the people who know things from experience. They are the people who want better. They are the people to learn from. 

Unfortunately, though, they are most often the people least heard. They’ve been marginalized and made disposable. They are dime-a-dozen commodities, yet they are the future. They contain the next great thing. The next artwork. The cancer cure. The life found on a distant planet. 

Dismiss the voices of those you relegate as “minimum wagers” at your peril because what you may be doing is dismissing your future success. 

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