That’s Quotable [Jeff Bezos]

May 7, 2008 in That's Quotable with Comments Off

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.

No Responses to “That’s Quotable [Jeff Bezos]”

  1. Read Scott May 7, 2008 at 11:19 pm #

    Strong statement. And so true.

  2. Kevin Connell May 8, 2008 at 7:36 am #

    People hate change because of the unknown… or because they misunderstand the future.

  3. Pudge May 8, 2008 at 9:09 am #

    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

  4. Ben Arment May 9, 2008 at 10:52 am #

    Love it. The most innovative people live in obscurity.

  5. Bill (cycleguy) May 10, 2008 at 8:42 am #

    Does this fall in line with that “we never did it that way before?”

  6. Aaron May 10, 2008 at 1:45 pm #

    sometimes the new ideas, the innovation, the creativity is the easy part……moving others from misunderstanding to understanding is the tough part