It’s definitely a psychological more that a rational problem. Our lizards seem to scare ourselves about innovation creating potential failure and delude ourselves about status quo leading to continued success. Only when we face a burning platform do we realize that status quo means failure and that innovation offers salvation.

For worse or better, our world’s growing rate of change means a growing incidence of burning platforms and a growing will to innovate. Perhaps the key to adopting all our great rational innovation tools is in a bit of psychology of helping people feel the heat of the current situation and smell the smoke of the current status quo before the platform really does burn.

Tools can cover tremendous territories, whether by providing unseen insights, relevant knowledge, or analytical paths that are far beyond the serial problem-solving methods that make up much of the wiring in our brains.

Where Innovation connects is often when fear of failure is released. It is a combination of having a passion for the goal, and a willingness to possess the results, whether good or bad. The latter takes courage, or a helluva lot of ignorance (which can be a good substitute).

Either way, both are needed to keep the lizard at bay.

Nice article!

very thought-provoking post!