Mindset Jolt #8 – Cultivate wisdom, not just results

Welcome to our Conscious Innovator® process!

Are you ready for a new, insight-provoking “Jolt” … something that challenges conventional thinking about the "right" mindset for being innovative? It's not that the conventional understanding is wrong - just limited.

Jolts wake us up. They emphasize a shift of focus that taps into a deeper, more expansive consciousness. The result can be profound insights into yourself and others that bring out your full, innovative potential, whether in small, daily tasks or major projects. 

Jolt #8: Cultivate wisdom, not just results

Innovation. It’s everywhere, and becoming more and more of a priority in all areas of life and work. Yet it can be a double-edged sword, producing both wanted and unwanted results.

And while innovation today depends on exponentially-growing knowledge that is available 24/7, Jonas Salk poses a provocative, rhetorical question: “We now have a great deal of knowledge, but do we have enough wisdom to deal with that knowledge?"

What if the call today is not for more innovation, but for innovation guided by consistently asking 2 questions...

1.     “Just because we can innovate something, is it wise to do so?”

The wisdom that guides us to make enlightened, optimal decisions is well described by Paul Baltes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. He identified numerous qualities of “wisdom” from both modern and ancient writings. Most universally, he found that wisdom addresses difficult questions about the conduct, uncertainty, and meaning of life. He also noted that wisdom involves a holistic synergy of knowledge and good character values that can create harmony among competing demands or goals.

2.     “How do we cultivate the wisdom we need to produce positive, beneficial results?”

While wisdom certainly incorporates knowledge, experience, and intelligence, cultivating it takes so much more... Patience with time and uncertainty. Intellectual humility blended with curiosity. Optimism that life’s problems can be addressed. Introspective calm when facing difficult decisions. The practice of moral virtues in life and work. A sincere concern for the well-being of all.

Wisdom as a precursor to innovative results is something rarely heard in conversations about innovation. But innovating is like any sport: there’s playing the game itself, and there’s the score you achieve. G. Narayana, Chairman Emeritus of Excel Industries in India, gives us a beautiful lesson in stating:

“If you worry about the results, then you have your attention on the scoreboard and not the ball. If you concentrate on the ball, the scoreboard will happen automatically. If you are looking at the scoreboard, you will lose the ball.”

Let’s face it… The world today won’t hold still for a carefully engineered cruise to well-defined, innovative results. When we cultivate, share, and apply wisdom – not just data, information, or knowledge – we provide an extraordinary scope, depth, and balance to the results we produce.

To raise the results, let’s keep our eyes on a high level of wisdom with which to play the game. Given the ever-evolving nature of our life and work, it’s the wise thing to do!

-=-=-=- Now it's your turn -=-=-=-

Being a Conscious Innovator® has a 3 phase cyclical process: become aware, capable, and versatile. Try on this Jolt in your life and work, then take self-reflective time to engage in the process:

-=-=-=- An invitation to join our process and share your insights -=-=-=-

If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to join our process and share your own experiences, while learning from the experiences of others! We appreciate what one person said about the Jolt process itself:

Innovation is a world by itself. It can change lives and help people become more positive. Doing a Jolt is already something! A new habit that promotes innovation and reflection.

It’s totally FREE to participate. To sign up and join us, go to this link and follow the easy directions: https://innovate.vci.global/p/the-conscious-innovator. 

Even if you haven’t participated up to this point, it’s never too late to start the process! It’s like a concise gym workout that provides an insightful “pause that refreshes” and evokes your unique, innovative potential in life and work.