Innovation: Less Strategy, More Vulnerability
By Kirsten Ludwig , Creative Leader & Founder IN GOOD Co
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Let's talk about innovation without using the word "disruptive." I promise this won't hurt.
Every corporate strategy deck loves to preach about innovation. They show neat little diagrams with interconnected circles, throw around terms like "ideation frameworks" and "cross-functional synergies," and somehow make the most exciting concept in human progress sound about as thrilling as watching paint dry in a beige conference room.
Here's the thing: Real innovation isn't born in a strategy meeting. It's born in moments of beautiful, terrifying vulnerability when someone dares to say, "I have this weird idea..." and actually finishes the sentence.
The Problem With Our "Innovation Problem"
We don't actually have an innovation problem. We have a fear problem. We're afraid of looking stupid. We're afraid of being wrong. We're afraid that our half-baked idea will get picked apart by Karen from Accounting who still talks about that time in 2019 when the office coffee machine budget went over by $12.
This fear makes us build fortresses of jargon, processes, and frameworks around innovation – as if we could somehow bureaucratize our way to brilliance. We turn it into a sterile, corporate thing because that feels safer than admitting that innovation requires us to be... human.
The Safety Paradox
The plot twist in our innovation story? Creating breakthrough ideas requires both psychological safety and the courage to be unsafe. It's like having a really good insurance policy before attempting to skateboard down a handrail – you're more likely to try that bold move when you know there's something soft to land on.
I once watched a colleague pitch an idea so outlandish, the room went silent. Not the good kind of silent. The "did-they-really-just-say-that" kind of silent. But here's what happened next: our team leader said, "Tell me more." Three months later, that "crazy" idea turned into our most successful project of the year.
Breaking the Mundane's Grip
Want to know why your best ideas come in the shower? Because it's one of the few moments in your day when you're not following a script. Innovation loves to hide in the spaces between our routines, which is why changing even the smallest patterns can lead to breakthrough moments.
Take a different route to work. Use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth. Eat cereal with orange juice instead of milk (okay, maybe don't do that last one – some conventions exist for a reason). The point is, when we shake up our patterns, we shake loose new possibilities.
The Beautiful Mess of Progress
Here's a secret about every innovative product you love: its first version was probably terrible. The Wright brothers' first flight lasted 12 seconds. The first iPhone couldn't copy and paste. The first pancake in every batch is always a casualty.
Innovation isn't about perfection; it's about progression. It's about having the courage to put something unfinished into the world and letting it evolve. Think of it as releasing beta versions of your ideas into the wild – messy, imperfect, but gloriously real.
Embracing the Cringe
Those moments when your voice shakes during a presentation? When your prototype fails spectacularly in front of everyone? When your "sure thing" turns out to be anything but? These aren't just embarrassing memories to suppress – they're your innovation highlight reel in disguise.
Every uncomfortable moment is a data point, a lesson, a step forward. The trick isn't avoiding the cringe; it's learning to see it as a sign you're pushing boundaries.
The Courage Equation
If I had to break innovation down into a formula (which I probably shouldn't, but here we go anyway), it would look something like this:
Innovation = (Safe Spaces × Daily Disruption × Cringe Tolerance × Imperfect Action) ÷ Fear of What Karen From Accounting Might Say
The math might be questionable, but the principle isn't: innovation requires us to create environments where failure is data, where routine is optional, and where vulnerability is seen as strength.
Your Move
Tomorrow, try something that makes you a little nervous. Pitch that weird idea. Take that different route. Speak up in that meeting where you usually stay quiet. Because innovation isn't just about changing the world – it's about being willing to change yourself first.
And remember, if your idea doesn't make someone somewhere a little uncomfortable, it might not be innovative enough. Just maybe skip the orange juice in your cereal. Some boundaries are better left uncrossed.
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