“Our business needs a massive transfusion of talent, and talent, I believe, is most likely to be found among non-conformists, dissenters, and rebels.”
David Ogilvy
Here’s a paradoxical question: Are innovators born or are they made?
Innovation is not an event, it is a mindset. So, what is the exact mindset of an innovator? Since innovators’ mindsets are very diverse, there is no one answer. Two dashes of Gates, add a cup of Einstein, throw in a tablespoon of Ford, and simmer in Edison’s lab for a couple years, and—Voila! You have a bona fide, guaranteed innovator.
So what is the answer to my question: Are innovators born or are they made? An astrologer might say that a person with their sun in Cancer and moon in Aries might have a better chance at being an innovator than one with, say, a sun in Virgo and moon in Scorpio. A psychologist might say that a person with a Myers Briggs of ENFP might be naturally a better innovator than an ISFJ. A psychologist might also look at birth order, or how dysfunctional the family of origin is, or at what age the child was toilet trained. A sociologist might look at the culture and ascertain whether it supports innovation or not. But there is no sure recipe.