When dealing with industry and market transitions, I believe that it's personal disruption that is the ultimate catalyst for change, especially at work. On this episode of the What’s Next! podcast, I got the pleasure to speak with Whitney Johnson. Not only was Whitney recognized as one of the world's most influential management thinkers in 2015, as president and cofounder of Rose Park Advisors' Disruptive Innovation Fund with Clayton Christensen, Johnson used the theory of disruptive innovation to invest in publicly traded stocks and private early-stage companies. In her book, Disrupt Yourself, she shares that we are living in an era of accelerating disruption and that no one is immune.
Becoming more innovative, isn’t a destination, its a journey. Foremost, innovation happens through a foundation of personal disruption across what she refers to as the “S-curve” waves of learning. If you want to make personal disruption a part of your life, Whitney offers two pieces of advice.
First, use your strengths. Using your strengths is often overlooked when it comes to personal disruption. Many times, we can’t identify our strengths, and if or when we can, we don’t tend to use them to our advantage. Why? Because strengths come naturally, and therefore, we don’t value them as much as something we worked for.
Second, create a practice of adapting. Change is all around us, from innovative ideas at work to the technology sitting in your pocket. To practice adapting, look for ways to disrupt yourself and focus on the small steps you are making toward adopting change. Even something as simple as changing the way you drive to work, the coffee you drink in the morning, or the way you start your days. Start small.
Both Whitney and I believe personal disruption is the basis for innovation, change, and growth. The great thing about personal disruption is that it isn’t just for the CEOs; it’s for everyone. It can transform how you see your career, the world, and how you implement thoughtful, creative ideas in your daily life. If you want to be successful in unexpected ways, follow your own disruptive path.
Listen to my conversation with Whitney and subscribe to the What’s Next! podcast on Apple Podcasts.