Anyone can be an innovator, but it takes special traits to lead in innovation. It’s about how you implement the lessons you gain along the way and dare situations as they come. It’s about being future-oriented, paying special attention to details and putting yourself in vulnerable situation when you think it’s worth the risk.
We asked entrepreneurs and business owners about the traits they admire in innovators and here are the responses;
#1- Unconventional thinking
Most innovators that I admire always push past conventional wisdom. They don’t stick to the traditional ways of doing things and they always think outside the box. I’ve always believed that the best and most innovative ideas come from unconventional thinking, which I’ve seen work for me, as well.
Thanks to Jack Wang, Amazing Beauty Hair!
#2- Recognise the people behind their success
I'm always inspired by Oprah Winfrey, and I admire that she has always attributed her success to the hard work and help of her team. Oprah has an incredible personal brand that is true to her voice, but she doesn't claim to be the only one behind her brand's success. On countless occasions, Oprah has introduced her marketing team and makes it known that all the hard work put into her brand is truly a team effort. She is not the only master behind her success. It's an incredibly admirable quality that I believe all business owners should adopt into their own daily practices.
Thanks to Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation.com!
#3-Ability to press forward in difficulties
One trait that I really admire from innovators is their strong willpower that drives them through adversity. I have referred to this as grit, determination, and even stick-to-it-tivness. No great innovations happen on the first iteration, and no great innovator gives up after that first iteration fails. It is in the face of this hardship that true innovation takes place. Learning about people like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Elon Musk motivates me to continue to push forward in the face of difficulties.
Thanks to Brittany Hovsepian, The Expert Home Buyers!
#4- A number of traits
Real innovators are more than dreamers. They understand how to balance a grand idea with thoughtful and realistic execution, which entails bringing together the right people, technologies and investment. They also give their teams permission to fail or misstep. Without that reassurance, a team will err on the side of caution and avoid potentially rewarding risks.
Thanks to Andrea Aker, Aker Ink PR & Marketing!
#5- Foresight
The major trait that all innovators have that I admire so much is their ability to identify a problem that nobody knows is a problem until the solution has been provided. This foresight is the first step in innovation.
Thanks to Jane Flanagan, Tacuna Systems!
#6- Ruthlessness
Steve Jobs is the man I admire the most. And his #1 trait is being ruthless – he was able to make people do what he wanted them to do and whenever he wanted that. Yes, he was tough. But because of that simple reason – getting things done in time without any complaints, Apple is now one of the richest companies in the world.
Thanks to Momchil, Codegiant!
#7- Self-belief
What I like most about innovators is the fact that they are original, prescient, have great belief in themselves and can translate their vision into reality. People like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg may now be feted and honored by all, but there must have been a time when they started off when they were trudging a lonely furrow. To be able to have that kind of self-belief when your theories and surmises are yet to be validated is something that only a rare individual possesses.. It is easy to be wise in hindsight, but to put yourself out on a limb in support of something only you know to be true requires an exceptional belief in your own abilities. This is what I admire in innovators.
Thanks to David Walter, Electrician Mentor!
#8- Resilience, diligence and patience
Innovators are not afraid to try new things, embark on new ventures and take risks because they know that what they'll gain will outgrow what they already have in their lives. They also work harder than most people because they are passionate about their inventions, and they believe in their purpose! Unlike most people, innovators do not let challenges, negative emotions and thoughts or people with a fixed-mindset trick them to think that they are incapable of achieving their goals. They understand that things take time because throughout their long journey, they will learn new things and develop their skills. They realize that most new things are a numbers-game, meaning they have to try them and fail many times before they can even reap the harvest of their hard work. I really believe that innovators and entrepreneurs are considered socially controversial because they are risk-takers and they have a can-do attitude that most people lack. And it is precisely because of their resilience, diligence and patience that they end up achieving their goals and prove others wrong.
Thanks to Brian Mac Mahon, Expert DOJO!
#9- Absolute conviction
There are many traits amazing innovators have, but the one I admire the most is their absolute conviction. The journey of an innovator can be lonely, and long. The number of ‘No's' they hear is substantial. Yet, they continue on. This conviction is rooted in an unwavering belief in themselves, and I can't think of too many things more inspiring than that.
Thanks to Brian Folmer, FirstLook!
#10- Not afraid of failure
What I admire most about innovators is that they not afraid of failure, and they just keep moving forward until they succeed. They take a risk in their life and know that failure is a necessary part of life. Where most people stop, the true innovator keeps going and make himself an example for others. Failure is often considered negative, but to an innovator, it’s inspiring, and they learn from it. Successful innovators not afraid to try something fail and try again until it’s perfect. Innovators, entrepreneurs, business owners possess these amazing qualities.
Thanks to Zhen Tang, AILaw.Inc!
#11- Own their differences
The business owners and entrepreneurs that truly make big changes and innovations are often a bit weird, strange or different from your typical average. What's great about these people, though, is they don't hide or change their personality and quirks in situations where they might not fit in. Innovators are unapologetically themselves, even if what they have to offer is different from what's normal. In fact, innovators thrive on being weird and different, as this is partly what helps them contribute to the world in new, exciting and out of the box ways.
Thanks to Chane Steiner, Crediful!
#12- Their inherent curiosity
What I admire about innovators is the inherent curiosity that motivates them to ask questions like: “What would happen if we tried this?” They carefully observe the world around them, seek new information, try new things, and continually search for innovative solutions. They look at everything as though they’re viewing it for the first time. They ask questions to understand how things work and how they could be changed. Their curiosity helps them gain insights, establish connections, and find possibilities and ideas for new unconventional ways of doing things. Innovators always remain open to new experiences. This increases their probability of entering the untapped territory that will challenge the world they live and change it for the better.
Thanks to Chris Riley, USA Rx!
#13- Willingness to experiment and take risks
What I admire most about innovators in the business world is a willingness to experiment and take risks most of us wouldn’t even consider. Whether they’re in a strong position to begin with or effectively betting their future on an idea they believe in, they’re almost never the conservative type, and quite often they’ll fail many times before we hear about their triumphs. And while we might fear judgment ourselves, we fail to realize that we don’t care about the failures of others, so why should we be concerned with it? Thinking about potential innovations, moving two steps back to take twenty steps forward sounds like a pretty great deal.
Thanks to Laura Fuentes, Infinity Dish!
#14- Several traits
First and foremost, the ability to form connections is just one of the highly admired traits of successful innovators. Thinking differently and divergently is very important. The already beaten road can be only taken so many times and innovators, as the name suggests, want to do things differently. For example, Elon Musk made space travel not only logical but practical. Another important trait is an insatiable curiosity and unwavering passion for doing what they believe is right. Curiosity is not just attached to innovators but for the whole intellectual community. They have an inherent curiosity that motivates them to ask questions that are never answered before. Similarly, passion fuels this fire, to do and achieve more. But loving what you do is not enough catalyst towards change as the innovator should also have a burning desire to share that passion.
Thanks to Jennifer Willy, Etia.Com!
#15- Work ethics and balancing analysis with intuition
The ability to balance analysis with intuition – The most innovative people that I've met and worked with have incredible abilities to shift between analyzing tons of data and trusting their intuition. Their intuit allows them to make connections within the data and with disparate ideas in a way that most people can't. Crazy work ethics – Real innovation is a massive undertaking. I've yet to meet a true innovator that doesn't have a tremendous work ethic. Coming up with innovative ideas is hard enough, bringing those ideas to fruiting in a world where most people don't like change is immeasurably harder. Without a lot of hard work and discipline innovation doesn't happen.
Thanks to Adam Sanders, Successful Release!
#16- Undeniable commitment
Innovators have an undeniable commitment to seeing their goal accomplished and to overcoming any obstacles they find in their path. No matter what their area of expertise, they have the ability to put their goals into action, and to make beauty from nothing. Anyone can have an idea, but it is innovators who take that idea and turn it into something tangible. It is this drive and passion that I admire most. I find their determination in the face of adversity inspiring, and think that those hopeful of one day starting their own business can learn a great deal from this kind of perseverance.
Thanks to Monica Eaton-Cardone, Chargebacks911!
#17- Insatiable passion
Innovative minds are the delight of entrepreneurs. They change the landscape of the game by bringing forward technologies that shock at first and then take over as the next best thing. For me, it has always been the insatiable passion in innovators that has always charmed me. It jumps out of them when they speak or demonstrate their product/idea to you. I enjoy long conversations with passionate innovators which can be a breath of fresh air for people like us, already in the business, to rethink our goals. Pair this passion with leadership, and you have a person who will shake up the world like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. One thing seldom discussed regarding innovators is their ability to work with other people. If you need to make it big, a brilliant idea by itself isn't just won't cut it. You need to learn to work with different people to bring out a successful enterprise and great innovators are usually keen on teamwork.
Thanks to Avinash Chandra, BrandLoom!
#18- Ability to view the world like they are not a part of it
They have a bird's eye view of society and how it functions and industries and how they work. They are able to see beyond what most of us can and envision what could come of it. Innovators make the world better because they look at it and see all the potential it holds. Not only are some of the world's greatest innovators able to view the world from afar and envision what it could be, they can also integrate themselves within reality seemlessly which makes then forces to be reckoned with.
Thanks to Freya Kuka, Collecting Cents!