Innovative Leaders and Potato Farmers – Part 2
In my last blog post, we began a discussion of the innovative practices of potato farmers which would be good for leaders to adopt. The first characteristic was to be humble because it leads to a higher level of interdependence of other people, an important part of being an authentic and selfless leader. Today we move to the next trait leaders should adopt from the potato farmer.
# 2 – Innovative Leaders Are Curious
The next trait to be emulated by innovators is the curiosity shown by potato farmers, who, over time, have come up with a wide variety of practical uses for their product. Not satisfied with simply growing a plant that can be eaten for nourishment, they have asked, “What else can be done?” and are constantly on the lookout for, as Psalm 118:23 states, “what the Lord is doing and is marvelous!” While it may be a stretch to spiritualize the practical uses of a potato, it should be considered that curiosity is an extension of our creativity, a characteristic that can be compared directly to the creativity of God, who made us in His image. Innovators should do as potato farmers have done and look for as many uses as possible for their existing ideas, inventions, and established products. They will find that being curious allows them to create things not created before. Examples of this in potato innovation includes the many ways potatoes can be used for food, but also liquor, animal feed and even toys such as Mr. Potato Head, plus seventh-grade science projects in which a potato is used to create an electrical current.
Curiosity creates what Lephart refers to as an “adaptive capacity and the ability to change” and relates to the previous quality of humility, because to be curious, one must begin with Willis’ concept of humble intelligence when seeking to find new ways of doing things. Other scholars support the need for innovators to be humble and curious. As Pamuk simply stated, “Be humble and notice everything,” while Wheatley invited people to “tinker with their environments, exploring new possibilities, and new forms of creative self-expression.” To do so, curiosity must be the driving force that propels innovative exploration because, as Berkun stated, “you can’t find something new if you limit your travels to places others have already found.” Finally, curiosity expands the innovator’s toolbox of potential solutions to difficult challenges facing society, and the more tools in the toolbox the better. As Michalko stated, innovators should always “collect and store ideas like a pack rat.”
Innovative leaders are curious.
Lead well.