When we ask participants in our business school and entrepreneurship classes what is more important: the business idea versus execution of it, we find that about half vote for the idea and the other half believe it is execution that matters. So is there one correct answer to this question, or does this really depend on the circumstances or situation? You decide…
Category: Creativity and Innovation (Page 4 of 5)
Whether you are about to write a new article, thinking about how to re-organize an existing process in the workplace or marketing a new service, what is often needed is a new lens, a new way of doing things. But how does one go about looking at things differently? How does one “acquire” creativity on demand, when needed? Here are 3 key strategies…
An extract from a web article that explains the ideas presented in the book “In The Innovator’s DNA” by authors Jeff Dyer, Hal Gergersen, and Clayton M. Christensen
This article builds on the idea of innovation to outline the five discovery skills that distinguish people such as Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and other innovators from the run-of-the-mill corporate managers. Academic and medical research shows that innovative tendencies are not genetic. Rather, they can be developed.The authors identify five discovery skills that distinguish successful innovators: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting…
The smartest organizations know that the way you treat your customers – whether these are internal or external customers – is what sets you apart and differentiates your organization. Companies spend fortunes on training their executives on leadership and management, communication skills and change management. Yet customer service and the critical aspect of customer experience is somehow left to the “technical guys” to worry about. Customer service is not an extension of your offerings; it is in fact the principal offering…
This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories…
A reproduction of the commencement address by J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame at Harvard University – copyright June 2008. A truly extraordinary speech
President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates,
The first thing I would like to say is ‘thank you.’ Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I’ve experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world’s best-educated Harry Potter convention…
President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, parents, and especially, the graduates:
I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this: “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”
I want to thank Harvard for this timely honor. I’ll be changing my job next year … and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.
I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees. For my part, I’m just happy that the Crimson has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class … I did the best of everyone who failed
Read the full, brilliant speech here
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