Idea: Bring a point of view. Care enough to engage the material. Take a stand! We can always talk it through and see if we can, as my man John Stuart Mill suggests, exchange error for truth, but it’s hard to start if you’re not bringing something substantive to the table. POV is everything. To quote the masters, Grand Funk, c’mon dudes , let’s get it on! (Note: “dude” in my world is gender neutral. I have become aware that this is not universally understood.)
I’m going to take my lead from the fantastic character played by Michael Keaton in Night Shift, Bill Blazejowski, who did such a solid job of breaking down the pivotal word for that film. Let’s play with the word “authority” for a bit, and, almost immediately we see that the word “author” is doing the heavy lifting here. Of the different types of authority (appointed/titular authority, the authority of the group’s elders, etc.), the authority borne of authorship is the one that always impressed me the most. It just feels so genuine and consistent. It’s so meritocratic. That anyone takes enough time to think deeply and authors something new that actually coheres…well, props/gasshos and prostrations. Thank you for loving your subject enough to create something new there! Inspiring to encounter the authority that comes from passion and the need to bring something to life.
I have interviewed enough job candidates to know that those who have taken the time to think about the position and have some vision for it are the ones I want to talk to more. Their vision may be somewhat “off”, but that’s easy enough to work through. Caring enough to author a POV about it is what matters.
I think this is particularly relevant for innovation. Complacent, tried-and-true, phoning-it-in perspectives on innovation…uh, whaddaya think…a little beside the point? Where’s the passion? Where’s the play? Where’s the internalization of the core innovative impulse? There’s something beautifully consistent about innovating fresh POV regarding innovation. We should walk our own talk, and to the extent that we do, we gain authority. And with that, we become more effective agents against forces of evil within our companies. We place ourselves in a position to help the powers make the right decisions. We make innovation a bit easier for those wanting to do the right thing.
Want more authority? Author more!
