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My son came in from playing outside with something in his hands.
When he opened them up, there were two tightly closed flower buds laying in his palm.
“I found them. I want to put them in some water.”
Honestly… I was skeptical anything would happen. The rest of the plant was missing!
Yet miraculously the next day, we found two beautiful open flowers on top of the water.
"Innovation is being honest with yourself."
At work, you want to show your best self.
When you’re on camera in a zoom or at the office, you may feel the need to be “on”.
This “on” mode builds your brand & image. It shows you as reliable and credible.
The thing we might not realize is… we’re often like a closed bud in “on” mode.
We’re protecting seeds of ideas, like the flower protects its pollen.
New ideas are delicate and can be easily stomped on. We often feel the need to keep them close to our chest.
And it’s ok not to share ideas in this “on” mode.
But the thing we do have to remember is…
–> You need to switch “off” too.
When you’re “off”, you have the freedom to open up.
You have the space to think and stretch your thoughts.
When in a safe “off” mode… you let you guard down and allow your most vulnerable ideas to see daylight.
You see… we can get stuck in “on” mode, especially when it comes to work.
You may even think, that’s the only productive mode you have.
And while being “on” is important for execution and delivery, it’s a non-starter for innovation.
Your brain literally needs to relax and stop firing the “normal” super strong neuropathways to explore the newly formed pathways of new fragile thoughts and ideas.
And this is how real impact starts. Real change. Real innovation.
So as you look at your day tomorrow…
See where you can pause and switch “off”.
It might feel weird at first.
But be patient.
Get a nice drink of water.
And allow your ideas to bloom.
– Laura @ Mindtap
“Innovation is being honest with yourself.”
– Alex Fernandez-Garita
Corporate Social Responsiblity Leader at Johnson & Johnson