Innovation

I must admit that I've always been a proponent of change.  If I were a scientist, I would probably study enthropy or chemical reactions, but as things stand, I'm more of a social scientist.  Thus my college degree in International Development shouldn't come as a surprise.  Development--as in progress, as in changing from less-developed to more-developed.  Those words are quite charged with meaning that I could explore, but I'd rather focus on another word associated with change--Innovation.

Mirriam-Webster defines innovation as an action--"the introduction of something new" or that new thing itself--"a new idea, method or device."  My thoughts focus more on the action, or at an even deeper level, the creativity and imagination necessary in order to spur on innovation and persevere until a little thought floating on a cloud grows into a ground-breaking invention.

While some people might have been blessed with a greater propensity to create, I believe that we all have a stroke of creativity in us.  After all, if we were made in the image of the Creator God who spoke all things out of nothingness, shouldn't at least a little of that rubbed off on us?  And what then are we supposed to do with that impulse to innovate?

Recently I have seen a number of people dreaming about and attempting new, innovative things.  A businessperson from a recent training class wants to start a business unlike any in the world.  Two people connected to revitalize an industry that had closed when there were no links in the distribution chain.  Another businessperson wants to bring business training and environmental sustainability together in one economically- and ecologically-sound model.

Innovation can be daunting.  Making a new idea a reality is not something that happens overnight, and it takes daring to overcome the very real risk of failure.  However, when I think of innovation in the context of the huge needs in the developing world today, I'm inspired by those who are willing to think creatively in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  We aren't going to eliminate poverty tomorrow, even if we yearn for a world without poverty.  However, if we are going to make progress toward that vision, we need innovative businesspeople who work to create dignified jobs, preserve the environment, and keep working to solve problems with innovative solutions.

Latest training graduates - equipped to create innovative business solutions

One final thought: Gandhi famously said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  So be innovative--bring positive, lasting, ground-breaking change.