Whenever something new is called for, it requires someone to step up and make a stand for it.  This is where all change begins.

But doing so, necessarily flies in the face of all that has come before, and all those who have played a part in creating or advocating that. Self Authorship calls us to challenge the status quo, and to live in the tension of innovation between an outdated old and a better new. (You can read more of my thoughts on Self Authorship here).

All true innovation starts with an empathy for the unmet need of an individual.

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person so that you can understand how they might feel, or think or act in a particular situation. When unmet needs are uncovered for large numbers of potential customers the excitement of large Total Addressable Markets beckons.

Originality creates better bridges between where we are, and where we want to be.

When we apply this concept to the domain of business we call it Innovation.  Originality is the opposite of habit, and is founded in a conscious choice to reawaken to the question of how best to meet someone’s needs.  Playfulness, creativity, design, humility and curiosity are all expressions of our innate capacity for being original. Originality and innovation takes us to new places.

We are always more powerful and capable of greater creations than we imagine ourselves to be.

Sometimes all we need is a reminder of that. The principle of stretching lies at the core of entrepreneurship, and in fact all ambitious initiatives. Stretching beyond what we think we’re capable of is critical to building a better organisation, or a better mouse-trap. Stretching is a necessary prerequisite for reaching forward. For greatness.

An accurate measure of being true to your best work is your own sense of pride.

Pride is an internal and authentic measure of our sense of Doing the right thing and Doing the thing right. It’s an essential compass that we benefit from listening to. It directs our path. It measures our progress. Taking pride connects us into a world of values and meaning; a closer connection to pride always results in big wins for whatever work we’re engaged with.