Innovator’s DNA is an expression coined in the book of the same name, written by strategy professor Jeffrey Fyer, disruptive‑innovation authority Clayton M. Christensen, and leadership professor Hal Gregersen. In the book, the trio presents in‑depth research (which lasted about eight years) on what Innovator’s DNA is and how it can help companies compete better through technology and creativity.
Understanding the profile of an Innovator’s DNA (an “innovator’s DNA”) is not difficult: many people have been teaching this concept for a long time, like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Dell, each of them with Innovator’s DNA running in their blood as a pure sequence of success.
However, it’s important to distinguish disruptive innovation from incremental innovation when talking about Innovator’s DNA: disruptive innovation truly changes entire markets, while incremental innovation improves processes that already exist. In that sense, the “true” Innovator’s DNA is found in those who pursue the first kind of change, because that’s what gives rise to everything else.
If you’re thinking about taking the technology path, remember to have courage, because those with Innovator’s DNA will face many challenges. One of the biggest, surprisingly, can be the status quo. People often don’t think about changing for the better because they believe they’re already at their best. It was like that before the iPhone: a phone with internet was “good enough.”
Today, nobody can live with a phone unless they can call it “smart,” and that shows Steve Jobs’s Innovator’s DNA, and the culture that this innovative sequence created at Apple.
Tips to develop the Innovator’s DNA
If you have a team you enjoy working with and trust with your best ideas, congratulations: you’ve already taken the first step toward having Innovator’s DNA running in your veins too.
But it’s important not to stop there, since technology companies are not just about willpower and good ideas. If you don’t put what you think and want into practice, your innovation will most likely become an illusion. Or worse: it may end up in the hands of a competitor who will do something with it.
Don’t miss the chance to spread Innovator’s DNA across your entire team. Here’s how to do it with the tips below:
- Rethink your business strategies, giving people a sense of purpose. The CEO’s main job isn’t to “wear the acronym,” but to motivate leaders and teams to make innovation a professional priority.
- Don’t separate work from fun. After all, the two can go together. Anyone who has had an innovative idea knows Innovator’s DNA can show up in the middle of a conversation, a game, or a leisure moment. Suppressing that ends up undermining productivity.
- Don’t be afraid to look strange, because ideas that have never been said before will feel strange. They’re only “weird in a bad way” if they have no real use. But if they do, don’t fear judgment.
- Don’t forget to thank everyone’s effort, because it’s not easy for them either to have “strange” ideas and try to express or apply them. Gratitude is a core part of Innovator’s DNA.
- Forget any bias you have against naps or long sleep, because that’s what recharges your batteries, and the team’s. Innovation needs a thinking brain, and it will only do the job if the person is fully rested. If needed, create nap rooms at the company.
- Establish mentoring for everyone on your team, especially if the goal is to learn who does and doesn’t have Innovator’s DNA. With close follow‑up on objectives, goals, and actions, the whole team can grow and innovate even more.
And, of course, don’t forget to provide continuous feedback on your team’s work and always, without exception, encourage a collaborative environment, not a competitive one. People with Innovator’s DNA need to feel they are on safe, fertile ground to share their ideas.
Don’t let people feel cornered and, as a result, miss the opportunity to develop the next major innovation in the world.
