I spent half of last week in a fantastic college in South India. I met many people who filled my time there with inspiring conversations about leadership, entrepreneurship, learning, the future, history, culture, mentoring, humanness, technology and much more.
To my surprise, the topic that most ignited me, however, was innovation.
I must confess that this word had lost some of its appeal for me lately. It has become more of a buzzword in business lingo, something that must be on our checklist if we want a business to survive.
Talking with the college's teachers, students, and leaders reminded me that innovation is much more than winning in business.
Innovation is how we, human beings, evolve ourselves and the world in which we live. Sure, it is crucial for organizations, but that's because it is essential for humanity.
"Innovation is the sustaining force behind human existence, enriching our time here on earth and setting the stage for those who come next. Hence, innovation not only matters but is essential to the human condition and existence, intrinsically tied to the development of our beliefs, motivations and actions. Innovation, then, is our path into the future, the human equivalent of biological evolution." — from Subtraction, The Subtle Art of Unleashing Boundless Innovation
In short, Innovation matters.
And that's why we must focus more on innovation that matters.
Innovation that doesn't get you there first but gets everyone there together.