Having spent the last two years researching and deciphering what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and how to BE innovative as the basis for inventing my own new start-up company, www.imaginenation.co.il, I learned that there are three distinct phases an entrepreneur must master to successfully invent a radically new business! Whilst it seems simple, I discovered that it is actually a deeply challenging and an extremely uncomfortable learning experience and profound personal change process. Despite my 30 plus years of business experience, as a small business owner, corporate culture change consultant, facilitator, corporate trainer and executive coach, working my way through each of these three phases challenged me more deeply than any other I had previously encountered.
The three phases of entrepreneurial and innovation mastery!
Phase One – Being confidently creative
Involves acknowledging, discarding and letting go of all previous judgements and beliefs about what it takes to invent a completely new business, or how this new business ‘should’ be. This phase required me to empty my mind, realising that if I didn’t, I would be at risk of creating yet another ‘me too’ business. It also required me to develop, hold and embody an imaginative, unconventional and almost disruptive way of be-ing that involved a constantly ‘open mind and open heart’. I always focused on seeking possibilities without being restricted by constraints.
Phase Two – Being courageously intentional
Requires setting a really ‘way out there’ intention, not being attached to it, and holding it in such a way that allows it, through constant retreat and reflection, to emerge, grow and evolve into a really high level vision, one which I could not have previously imagined. Incredible doses of raw passion and courage were needed, as I was investing large amounts of both time and money, (that I didn’t really have at the time), as well as an incredible commitment and trust in the whole invention process.
Phase Three – Experimenting and prototyping
By far, this was the most challenging and difficult phase for me as I had to experiment with, test and prototype a multitude of different innovation models and processes. To then let go of my wilfulness, and discard what often appeared to be a fabulous new development. I was able to, through deep listening and tough questioning, and by taking unexpected and unsafe ‘right hand turns’, reach and explore new and unchartered territories. I developed deeper resilience which was supported by strong self confidence which enabled me to invent not only a new global consulting business, but also an amazing new business simulation, The Start-Up Game, which is a world first, in integrating gamification with experiential learning principles and processes to teach people and organisations how to BE Innovative.
So, if you would like to be more successful as an entrepreneur or innovator, take a moment to consider what would need to happen for you to:
- Be willing to open your mind and heart and play in the ‘empty space’?
- Allow the seeds of your vision to emerge evolve and flourish into something completely new deviant and unexpected by letting go of your wilfulness?
- Constantly experiment, let go, to generate and achieve higher level ideas, model and outcomes that can then be successfully implemented?
Imagine if we intentionally work our way through the three phases, what amazing and resilient entrepreneurs we could become and the range of difficult problems we could solve! I invite you to visit the imaginenation.co.il website for the first ever Coach for Innovators Certified Program.
