From ordinary to special world

They can't be more different.  Our hero is doing just fine in the mundum ordinary world.  But there is a slight stir foreshadows the internal challenge and the external enemy that will draw the hero to a new world, in which he will be tormented and he will stare death in the eyes - and we will follow him to concur the beast and the internal demon - in the special world.

Hero

We all think of heros as strong and brave.   But these qualities are secondary to sacrifice.   We admire hero's because their willingness to give up something dearly to them, perhaps even their lives, for an ideal or a group.

The heros earn their magic power through learning, sacrifice and commitment.   When the training is over, they suddenly realize their magic power is not the fantastic sword, but the ability to learn,  sacrifice and commit.

The hero and the ordeal

Our hero must die.  Or appear to die so that he can be born again.  The liveliness is depressed so it can be revived again.  So the world can fill the elation and exhilaration with our hero.  He has never felt more alive when he was looking at death in the eyes.  The ordeal is an absolutely crucial part of the hero's journey.

There must be a truth

I cannot help but believe that there is a truth, somewhere, somehow, as an eternal reality, a Platonic ideal form, a devine model.  From it, infinitely intricate variations can be generated, each resonating with the essential spirit of the truth.

I cannot help but believe that there is a devine mandate on me, someday, somewhere it will be clearly revealed. At that time I will be completely clear that all the struggle, tears, laughter, triumph and dispair  are part of the holly plan to support and shape me for that mission.

- reading "Writer's Journey" by Vogler

Need a new team to start disruptive innovation

Following along the innovators delimma.   Another set of prove that a new,  independent organization is needed , away from the existing company,  to be successful in starting disruptive innovation.  Seagate,  Kmart, IBM all prove the case.

Back to my industry,  a new organization might be needed to launch completely online program.  even a new private university,  or charter university, might be needed to start the complete online GE package.

Most major will be glad to accept the GE since it is messy and labor intrusive.

Innovating the next higher learning

The is the topic that I will present as the keynote at defense language institute Dec 26.

I have to remember that people really don't want to be there.  So Id better tell insightful and interesting story plus a few jokes to engage them and convey my message.

Topics

Mooc
Anytics
Social media
collaboration
Gamification
Flipping the classroom
Learning science - instance feedback. Short attention

Thing not yet able to leverage tech
Insperatiion
Believe
Hope
Trust
Discipline

Innovators delimma - the board connection

Re-read Christensen's book.  A lot of intriguing ideas. Some of them right on, such as using agile model.  Observe the user, don't just ask.

But I believe there are probably a more human issue.   How the company, especially ones that have a complacent, aging board, select a group of  innovative management and let them run the company? 

A board that look over the shoulder of the CEO all the time,  I submit, is the early sign and part of the reason that "good" companies fail.

Who owns the ice house?

Hard work, preservernce, thrifty,  choosing the right friends - the mindset of an entrepreneur is powerful enough to lift Taulber from poor black kids to successful banker and acclaimed writer.

There are always nay sayers around us.  Sometimes they are the ones that are close to us. They tell us not to work that hard.  They joke about our seriousness.  They say it is all useless.  Fending off their daily sarcasm may be harder than the entrepreneurial projects.

Biking to school

Start biking to school twice a week.   I .surprised that I enjoy the grueling route  and look forward to it.  I put the podcast of marketplace, education weekly, science Friday, freacnomic  Harvard business ideas on my ear phone and make the journey somewhat educational.

From Carmel to pebble beach entrance is 200 ft easy climb, then to the scary 660 ft 2 miles drop to the shore of Monterey.   After Monterey,  it is easy enjoyable bike trial along the coast.  The scenery is wonderful. 

After I got to school, I feel refreshed and a sense of accomplishment.   Sometimes I felt it is the only one in a busy yet unproductive day. Sigh.  Well, time to ride!

Invincible Enterprise

Discussed all day with Greg Yezersky on creating corporate innovation training.  One version of the workshop is called "invincible enterprise".  What an intriguing name! A quick summary of my ideas of the traits of an invincible enterprise are -

A. disciplined workflow,
B. consistent innovation,
C. cultivation of internal leaders.  

Item A will grantee the quality of the product today, B will assure the viability of entreprise tomorrow, C will make sure the next leaders are ready.

The entreprises has the ABC will be invincible, those don't, will parish sooner or later. Among the big companies, HP has A and B but does not have C, Kodak has A and C but not B, Apple and IBM probably have all.  Google, Facebook, CISCO are too early to call.

If we look at countries as entreprises, it is interesting to compare USA, China, Japan, Germany, Sigarpore, Taiwan.  All score differently on the ABC.

Overlooked ingredients of innovation

When one is very hungry,  cooking up a new dish is not the first thing come to his mind entering the kitchen.   When there is no trust that invention can be shared without being stolen, people keep the idea to themselves.  When there is no tolerance for failure,  no one dare to try new things.

When there is lack of rigor, lazy is disguised as innovative.  When there is no quick way to recycle the resource after failure, waste and chaos run amuck.

Basic safety, trust, acceptance of failure, pruning, and recycling.  Most forget these
Ingredients.

Photo: discuss innovation with leadership Monterey peninsula, class of 2013.