As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday this July 4, the time is right to look back at milestones in American innovation — and the lessons you and your business can take from these leaders and giant steps forward throughout history.
See what needs to change: Some of the greatest innovations in our democracy came from those looking around and determined things that needed to change in order to continue moving forward. Without forward progress, societies (and businesses) get stuck. For example, in the early 1900s women throughout the United States (and the United Kingdom) were fighting for the right to vote under the Suffragette movement — seeking to fundamentally innovate and change the way society viewed the worth and contribution of women. Their argument that women were full and just parts of the advancement and management of a functional society directly correlated to the right to vote. Those women and supporters that looked around and determined our society would never advance without this critical change dramatically propelled our national trajectory forward. The same is true in business; great innovators look around and determine things that need to change — even if painfully so — to evolve to the next level.
Re-thinking societal norms: In the early 1920s and 30s there were simply no fashionable items for Maternity wear. Women were encouraged to either wear constricting undergarments to “hide” the baby (yikes!) or were left with options that were basically tent-type dresses and skirts, relegating an expectant mother to the ranks of the dowdy and unfashionable. The Frankfurt sisters founded Page Boy fashions in 1937 to directly address this issue and as such, reshaped a societal norm. Their innovative designs modified for a changing body shape allowed women to embrace the jazzy fashions of the Flapper era and beyond while remaining comfortable as their pregnancy progressed. What was previously considered just the ‘standard’ — that pregnant women were simply unable to remain stylish during their pregnancy — became outdated and women were able to keep up with the styles of the times, allowing them to remain active in the workplace and out of the home. Their patented, unique adjustable skirt design with a panel to accommodate a growing belly without modifying the overall design of the garment remains the industry standard to this day.
Take big swings: You may have heard the adage “shoot for the moon; even if you fail you will land amongst the stars.” This idea of taking the biggest swings and risks often is a main catalyst for major innovations. In the early 1960s president Kennedy made a bold statement — that the United States would launch a man to the moon and return him to safely to the Earth before the decade was out. While the team at NASA gave a collective ‘gulp,’ it put the country on a trajectory to work collaboratively towards a massive, nebulous goal — and fast! Working through obstacles and setbacks, the resulting teamwork and innovation allowed the country to meet this goal with just five months to spare, landing Neil Armstrong on the moon on July 20, 1969. When your company is facing a challenge or looking to expand, setting a bold goal without a clear path to get there frequently can spark the desire and out of the box thinking needed to get you there.
Keep your eyes open — Ideas come from everywhere: When people think of inventors their minds inevitably drift to people like Edison, Whitney and Bell. While these are milestone inventors, some of country’s most prolific innovators are less well known and sought ideas from everywhere, even the most mundane parts of life. Beulah Louise Henry had 48 patents granted throughout a bulk of the early and mid 20th century, many for the most basic of things that she observed every day, such as an attachment that could fit on a man’s belt allowing him to read the newspaper with hands full. Over the decades her dozens of innovations changed multiple industries, including the toy business. Despite having no children of her own, she observed and watched children playing in parks and all around her and came up with several game-changing patents including a spring allowing toys to bounce back to an original shape after being played with and dolls with moveable eyes to seem more realistic. Henry’s lesson is simple: There are options for innovation all around you, even in unexpected ways — If you just look.
Embrace new technology to sell in new ways: In 1994 Jeff Bezos left an established career on Wall Street to jump into the newest, hottest technology: The Internet. He knew this emerging tech would drastically change the way people communicate and buy and sell goods. While consumer adoption was slow at first, he examined which products might make the most sense to sell basically “blind” to a consumer where they didn’t feel like they needed to see and touch it in stores. After examining several category ideas he settled on books based on their mass appeal, ease of storage and shipping and standardization. His new company, Amazon.com, became a revolution in the way consumers purchase merchandise. Amazon’s success came from the ability to embrace new technology and use it to create a paradigm shift in the marketplace.
Look at the power of partnerships: Innovation is often a team sport. Some of the most revolutionary breakthroughs in history have come from partnerships, with each person bringing a unique skill set that is amplified through collaboration. The best business leaders realize when they need to work in tandem with someone else to bring their vision to life. Wilbur Wright had the vision, determination and business sense to believe that people could fly in a motorized aircraft. Orville was the tactician, skilled in engineering and aviation. Their collaboration revolutionized the way the world would forever see transportation with their first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Within your own business development efforts, look around to see who on your leadership team (and beyond) brings a key skill set to enhance your efforts and can help bring that innovation into focus!
