NATURE-INSPIRED TECHNOLOGY: NISSAN'S SELF-CLEANING CAR

This is a classic example of nature-inspired technology, in this case, the water repellant property of the lotus leaf!

The lotus, which is revered because of its exceptional purity, grows in muddy water, but its leaves, when they emerge, stand above the water and are seemingly never dirty. 

This phenomenon is due to their super-hydrophobic surfaces.

INNOVATION AS A PURPOSEFUL AND SYSTEMATIC DISCIPLINE

[In continuation of my earlier post:]

Just sharing one of my most favourite and inspiring quotes: 

"In innovation, as in any other endeavor, there is talent, there is ingenuity, and there is knowledge. 

But when all is said and done, what innovation require is hard, focused, purposeful work. 

If diligence, persistence, and commitment are lacking, talent, ingenuity, and knowledge are of no avail." 

~ Peter F Drucker, 'Innovation and Entrepreneurship';

INNOVATION REQUIRES CREATIVITY + DISCIPLINE, IMAGINATION + RIGOUR

I like what I am reading:

"Innovation almost never fails due to a lack of creativity.

It's almost always because of a lack of discipline."

~ The new book, 'Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building Breakthroughs', by Larry Keeley;

In fact, as I recall vividly, this is one of the salient points of uber guru Peter F Drucker when he wrote 'Innovation and Entrepreneurship' back in the 80's.

THE LAW OF NAVIGATION

Remembering an interesting insight from leadership expert and author John C Maxwell:

The Law of Navigation: 'The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership'

"Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course."

THERE ARE NO PASSENGERS ON SPACESHIP EARTH, WE ARE ALL CREW!

Think about it!

In fact, this resonates with what planet Earth's friendly genius, R Buckminster Fuller or better known to folks affectionately as Bucky, said, when I first read about him in the early nineties:

“We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody.”

WHICH WAY ARE YOU LOOKING?

Just come across this belated report, "Words Of A CEO Can Foretell A Company's Future Innovation", published in 'Science Daily', on 15 August 2007.

Here's the interesting snippet from it:

"CEOs who focus their attention on future events and external activities lead their firms to early adoption and invention of new technologies and greater and faster development of innovations.
 

In contrast, firms whose CEOs focus on internal operations are slower to detect, adopt and implement new technologies. 

Words, not just actions, of the CEO set the tone to inspire, propel and motivate employee innovation."

~ marketing Professor Rajesh Chandy of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management;

In a nut shell, talking about the future does one thing that makes innovation easier: it opens the mind up to new possibilities. 

So, here's the challenge: what do you do? 

Are you focusing on the future, or are you consumed by your day-to-day operations?

[Actually, this finding reinforces one of the key aspects of visionary companies as defined by management consultant Jim Collins, in his classic book, "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies":

"An eye should always be kept for the long term instead of the short term, even when it is hard to do so."]

YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE NEW EYES!

I like what I am reading:

"Just like Christopher Columbus or Marco Polo, I believe each of us came to this planet hardwired to explore, to push out, to grow and to evolve -- to discover new parts of ourselves and our world we have not seen before...

... Sometimes the greatest discoveries are made by exploring inner space, in the cracks and crevices of our belief system, which has everything to do with how we perceive ourselves and our world.

In other words, new discovery is also an inside job that invites us to see our lives and our world, right where we are, from a new perspective...

... As Thoreau wrote, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

Given this perspective, what you see when you look at your life and your world truly is a work of art.

You really don't have to go all that far on your voyage of discovery to find something new.

You just need to have new eyes.... "

~ Dennis Merritt Jones, award-winning author, keynote speaker, spiritual mentor, writing in his blog at 'The Huffington Post';