Believing That You Can Get Things Done

I believe there are 5 steps to follow to innovate from within, and today, I want to talk about Step 1.

Fundamentally, I believe that almost every company has the energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and people to pull off any internal effort they want to if they really work for it.

There tends to be a self-deprecating mentality in many large businesses that they will only innovate if they acquire an innovative company. That doesn’t have to be the case.

Step #1 on How to Innovate from Within:

Believe that you can actually get it done

If you are an executive at a company that wants to build more innovative leaders, you must believe that your team has the capacity to make it happen.

This self-belief sounds simple but is truly profound.

It is only when you believe that you and your team can do something great that you will be willing to set a bold, audacious goal.

It’s important to remember that goals must be set from the top; otherwise, no one will even try.

And if you dream too small—say, teeing up what you will already achieve in the next year—that will not be good enough. Visionaries need to push people to stretch. You must inspire your team to aim for innovative excellence and then help them set the process in motion.

Prime examples of this that come to mind:

John F. Kennedy—In a speech, he looked up at the moon and said, “We are going there before the end of the decade.” He risked his career, politics, people, and reputation for a goal that many believed would never happen.

Elon Musk—When Musk said, “We are going to fly a rocket over and over again and never throw it away anymore,” every one of his astronaut heroes said that he couldn’t do it, and it crushed him. But he still did it. And now those astronauts say, “I will never question Elon Musk again.” He has completely transformed space travel.

That’s the power of having a big vision for your company and team.

And it’s where all great innovations begin.

Important Question to Ask Yourself this Week:

What big goal can I set this year that will inspire my team and drive innovation?