Qualities of an Innovator

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Top Twenty Qualities Of An Innovator:

1. Challenges status quo: Dissatisfied with current reality. Questions authority and routine. Confronts assumptions.

2. Self-motivated: Responds to deep inner needs. Proactively initiates new projects. Intrinsically rewarded for efforts.

3. Entertains the fantastic: Conjures outrageous scenarios. Sees possibilities within the seemingly impossible. Honors dreams and daydreams.

4. Peripatetic: Changes work environments as needed. Wanders, walks or travels to inspire fresh thinking. Given to movement and interaction.

5. Self-accepting: Withholds compulsive criticism of their own ideas. Understands “perfection is the enemy of the good.” Unattached to looking good in the eyes of others.

6. Curious: Actively explores their environment. Investigates new possibilities. Honors their sense of awe and wonder.

7. Visionary: Highly imaginative. Maintains a future orientation. Thinks in mental pictures.

8. Takes risks: Goes beyond their comfort zone. Experimental and non-conforming. Courageously willing to “fail” (but learns from feedback).

9. Playful & humorous: Appreciates incongruities and surprise. Able to appear foolish and child-like. Laughs easily and often.

10. Makes new connections: Sees relationships between seemingly disconnected elements. Distills odd ideas down to their underlying principles.

11. Reflective: Incubates on problems and challenges. Seeks out states of immersion. Ponders, muses and contemplates.

12. Tolerates ambiguity: Comfortable with chaos. Able to entertain paradox. Doesn’t settle for the first “right idea.”

13. Balances intuition and analysis: Alternates between divergent and convergent thinking. Entertains hunches before analyzing them. Trusts their gut, uses their head.

14. Formally articulate: Communicates ideas effectively. Translates abstract concepts into meaningful language. Creates prototypes with ease.

15. Persevering: Hardworking and persistent. Champions new ideas with tenacity. Committed to follow-through and bottom-line results.

16. Recognizes Patterns: Perceptive and discriminating. Notices organizing principles & trends

17. Committed to learning: Continually seeks knowledge. Synthesizes new input quickly. Balances info gathering and action.

18. Situationally collaborative: Balances rugged individualism with political savvy. Open to coaching and input. Rallies support as needed.

19. Resilient: Bounces back from disappointment. Learns quickly from feedback. Willing to “try" (try again).

20. Flexible / adaptive: Open to serendipity and change. Able to adjust game plan as needed. Entertains multiple ideas and solutions.

(Abstract from the source: “Qualities of an Innovator” │ Mitch Ditkoff – 2004 │www.ideachampions.com)