How could use Disruptive Innovation to advance your thinking and your career?

A really nice blog from Jeff Shuey

Jeff is an expert in the Enterprise Content Management industry. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. 

He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, K2 and Gimmal. Follow him on Twitter @jshuey or on LinkedIn: in/JeffShuey

The blog is all about how could use Disruptive Innovation to advance your thinking and your career?

It's quite funny as without realising it - I have been doing this for years. Now it has a name - I will double my efforts by doing it consciously, see below ... 

"First, let’s think about what Disruptive Innovation (otherwise known as DI) means.

A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a newmarket and value network ~via Wikipedia

Using DI thinking can certainly impact long held business models. A few business that have been impacted by Disruptive Innovations are listed below and followed by some of the businesses that stepped in to replace them.

• Tower Records –> Napster (now Pandora, Spotify, iTunes and many others)
• Blockbuster –> Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
• Travel Agents / Agencies –> Expedia, Kayak, et al

In the first example the original disruptive innovator, Napster, has already been DI’d by new entrants. Which only proves the point that DI thinking is an effort that never ends. Very much like your career. You need to constantly be on the lookout for a different way to do something.

You could argue that Uber - the DI of the taxi industry is going to be DI'ed by Justaxi - the Manchester cheeky up start / start up. 

However, the same principles can be applied to your Career Development. For example:

• In education: Instead of 4 years for university –> Consider MOOC’s.
• (Which is what I did to learn about gamifaction with University of Penn) 
• Instead of climbing the corporate ladder –> Create your own ladder
• (Which is what I am going to do with my own mobile games company) 
• In lieu of solving the same old problems –> Develop new ways of thinking that focus on higher value customer needs
• (Again my plan for mobile games - that can become gifts for people....) 

First, seek to understand the business you are really in. Make no mistake… a career is a business. It’s the most important business you will ever invest your time and energy into and you’ll be doing it for a long time. So, make the most of it.

To understand your business and to think a little more sideways you should start by asking different questions, experimenting with new models, and looking for different ways to add value in ways that have not been considered.

For example, if you went to school to become an engineer:

• What are you actually creating?
• What benefit are you really delivering?
• Are there different ways you can deliver value to the customer?

These same questions can be applied to almost any career. Whether you studied accounting, drama or zoology.

Seek to Out Innovate Yourself

This may seem like an oxymoron, but when you think about it you need stay ahead of the competition. Where the competition is not necessarily the person in the cube next to you. The competition is yourself. 

You want to do more tomorrow. But, you don’t always need to work longer hours. The old cliché is true here… you want to Work Smarter, Not Harder. When you do your ability to brand yourself as an innovator will be preceded by your ability to think differently, ask tough questions and deliver stellar results."

Wise words Jeff - which is why I popped then up here... 

LinkedIn recently released the LinkedIn Inspiration Index (LII) which I was very happy to take part in.

LinkedIn recently released the LinkedIn Inspiration Index (LII) They asked people one simple question: How often do you feel inspired by your work?  

I got a score of 90 out of a 100 for my work with The Apprentice Academy - which is not surprising as inspiring a whole new generation of young people into doing something amazing and being an apprentice - is something that Jim Clarke our MD has been inspiring us all about. As developing future talent is our passion.  

Based on surveys of thousands of people across 8 countries and 80 industries, the index gives us a glimpse at what industries leave employees feeling inspired -- and what industries lack inspiration.

The Top Five Most Inspired Industries

Based on initial research, people in these industries felt the most inspired (LII score in parentheses):

1) Fine art (82)

2) Religious institutions (81)

3) Sports (81)

4) Professional training and coaching (80) (With people like us at The Apprentice Academy)

5) Nonprofit organization and management (78)

The Bottom Five Least Inspired Industries

According to the initial data, these industries will have you feeling the least inspired:

1) Semiconductors (61)

2) Defense and space (60)

3) Online media (60) (ouch as I used to be in this a little with digital marketing)

4) Industrial automation (59)

5) Architecture and planning (58)

This original article is taken from  Dave Kerpen from Likeable Local who adds: In the meantime, no matter what job or industry you work in, we can all use a little inspiration.

 8 Simple Ways to Inspire Yourself at Work

Whether you work in a typically-inspiring industry or not, you can benefit from feeling inspired. And while all eight of the above are excellent ways to get inspired, for me, the most important question isn't what inspires you - it's who inspires you. The best way to get inspired is other people.

1) Read a book.

There are thousands of great, time-tested books available for inspiration and motivation. I wrote on LinkedIn about nine great books that have inspired me and changed my life here. I'm currently reading another amazing, timeless, inspirational book that is having a profound impact: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. 

2) Write a blog post or letter.

Reading can be very valuable, but writing requires more thinking, and so it can be even more valuable. Write about something you're passionate about - write about how to solve a problem, or write an article about your business that you wish you had read yourself a year ago. You don't even need to publish it for writing to be effective. But if you do want to publish it, here's how to become a better writer.

3) Exercise.

Sometimes you just need to get the blood flowing. Go for a walk, or a run, or a workout. There are two great advantages of exercise: First, it's healthy for your body. Second, it forces you to spend time thinking - time when you can't be on your smartphone or otherwise distracted. As little as 15 minutes of movement can burn some calories - and set your mind on fire with new ideas and inspiration.

4) Write a thank you note.

Not a thank you email, or a thank you text, or even a thank you phone call - a physical, hand-written thank you note. Tony Robbins said, "Gratitude is the antidote to the two things that stop us: fear and anger." I have found that is impossible to feel upset and grateful at the same time. So every morning, I start out my day by writing three thank-you cards. Here's more about my thank-you card routine.

5) Perform a random act of kindness.

The ironic and amazing thing about acts of kindness is that they end up being kind-of selfish, because you feel SO great after doing them. Open a door for people leaving it for awhile. Help an elderly lady cross the street. Buy a homeless man lunch. Retweet a bunch of people. Whatever you do, take your mind off of yourself and your problems and focus on helping another person. You'll come back feeling rejuvenated.

6) Read inspiring quotes.

Reading a book or even an article can take more time than you have to spare sometimes. So it's worth looking at inspiring quotes from great leaders, writers and thinkers of the past. Google makes it easy - simple search for "Inspiring quotes about [whatever it is that's on your mind]," and feel better within seconds. Here are 25 of my favorite inspirational quotes for leaders.

7) Listen to music.

Plato said, "Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue." Looking to educate your soul? Or perhaps just to let off some steam and feel better about the work before you? Turn on your Itunes, or Spotify, YouTube, or even the radio, to elevate your mood through music. Here are 21 songs to inspire you at work- favorites from 21 entrepreneurs I know.

8) Watch an inspiring video.

As inspiring and uplifting as music can be, video can be even more inspiring. Whether it's your favorite movie, or, if you don't have time, a short video you find through a quick search on YouTube, you can get in a good mood in just a few minutes.

Ok Charles Ramsey is a internet sensation - but what can we learn from it all?

Ok it took, what, all of a day (two days if you are based in Europe) for Charles Ramsey to become a household name. The newly minted Internet legend who helped kidnapping victim Amanda Berry make the 911 call heard 'round the world has put a smiling face on a story of unspeakable horrors with his funny TV interviews. (See them all on the NEW Charles Ramsey Facebook appreciation page.)

Although three women and a child were rescued in Cleveland this week, the stories of their kidnappings are really just the tip of the iceberg for Berry and her fellow captives, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.

But... I dare say that's what has made Charles Ramsey and his ebullience during TV interviews go viral. He's a hero with a great attitude and a hearty sense of humor.

And this is what we should learn from it - BE YOURSELF AND BE A HERO - even if the world isn't looking.

And yes, no matter what people want to say, Ramsey is a hero. He's a guy who saw something off and decided not to turn the other way but to put himself out there and help Amanda Berry.

By heading next door with another neighbor (Angel Cordero, who has come forward to try to claim his own bit of the spotlight), by offering her a phone to call 911 and staying there until police came, he changed the course of these three women's lives -- for the better.

He also unwittingly made himself a public figure, a man who is being both celebrated and (sadly) mocked today, but he hasn't backed down. From his pledge to turn any reward for finding the missing women over to the women themselves to his insistence that he is NOT a hero, Ramsey is a man who deserves all the applause he's getting today.

And I have decided that this kind of hero deserves more - so I am making a store for Charles Ramsey - with #deadgiveaway merchandise to get him money he deserves.

And the more canny amongst you will also see this as a #greatmarketing exercise - which it is in part.

But it is more than that - it is to hopefully keep alive his memory - as just take a look at some of the quotes that made us grin along with him:

From his now famous interview with local station WEWSTV, which has even been auto-tuned - and the Charles Ramsey song is now part of the T-shirt rannge #deadgiveway

1. On recognizing Amanda Berry's name:

When she told me, it didn't register ... Until I got to calling 911, and then I'm like, I'm calling 911 for Amanda Berry? I thought this girl was dead!

2. On alleged suspect Ariel Castro:

My neighbor ... you got some big testicles to pull this off, bro.

3. On seeing Amanda:

Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway.

4. Again on seeing Amanda:

Either she's homeless or she got problems. That's the only reason why she runnin’ to a black man.

From Ramsey's interview with Anderson Cooper 360:

5. On the 911 operators:

We're both calling 911. Now she gets through and I get through. She deal with a moron, me, too.

6. On the cops responding:

They got there so fast because I said moron. Because I said hey, Amanda Berry is right in front of me right now. Here's what she got on and I told him white tank top, blue sweatpants, nice tennis shoes, nice ponytail. What else? Oh, right. She's panicking, idiot. Put yourself in her shoes. Like I said, Amanda Berry, that don't ring no damn bells, you being a cop and all?

7. On how the ordeal has affected him:

See, that's why now I'm having trouble sleeping. See, up until yesterday, the only thing that kept me from losing sleep was the lack of money. See what I'm saying? So now that that's going on, and I could have done this last year, not this hero stuff, just do the right thing.

8. On being a hero:

Bro, I'm a Christian, an American, and just like you. We bleed same blood, put our pants on the same way. It's just that you got to put that -- being a coward, and I don't want to get in nobody's business. You got to put that away for a minute.

9. On why he ran to help:

You have to have cojones, bro ... That's all what it's about. It's about cojones on this planet.

10. On the reward:

I tell you what you do, give it to them. Because if folks been following this case since last night, you been following me since last night, you know I got a job anyway. Just went picked it up, paycheck.


How can you not love a guy like that? He's got heart, grit, and a sense of humor!

And he even turns down the money from the reward. But he can't turn down our money - as it's just for him - Charles Ramsey.

Buy a Tshirt - keep the dream #deadgiveaway alive - be a hero - be yourself - and have fun doing it!!!