Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com as quoted on BusinessWeek.com (April 17, 2008)
I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate. That’s actually a serious point. If you’re going to do something that’s never been done before—which is basically what innovation is—people are going to misunderstand it just because it’s new.
Strong statement. And so true.
People hate change because of the unknown… or because they misunderstand the future.
Very true. Helps me understand more why ‘thinking outside the box’ thinking, isn’t always smiled upon.
Bottom line: People hate/dodge/overt change because it makes them uncomfortable. I’m learning to be successful with innovative ideas I have to understand who I am communicating it to, when to communicate it, and how what I communicate can come across to them.
Great leaders inspire buy-in even in the face of change! :)
Just my 2 cents worth!
Thanks! :)
pudge
Love it. The most innovative people live in obscurity.
Does this fall in line with that “we never did it that way before?”
sometimes the new ideas, the innovation, the creativity is the easy part……moving others from misunderstanding to understanding is the tough part