终极创新难题：你敢于卓越吗

    商业模式创新是划时代的旅程，需要敢于卓越的勇气。SYPartners的主席基思•山下是我所认识的最有思想深度和影响力的战略咨询大师，而商业创新工场的年度合作创新峰会（第8届峰会将于9月19-20日在罗得岛州普罗维登斯市举行）将全球的创新迷聚集起来，分享自己的变革故事。基思在某年的峰会上提出的问题仍然萦绕在我脑海中，驱使我经常去思考：敢于卓越是否值得？

    没有咨询业故弄玄虚的空话套话，没有模棱两可，就是一个简单的问题供大家思考。基思的问题其实隐含了一个假设：我们都可以变得卓越。我们只需要勇于卓越。卓越不是他人给予或馈赠的。不是授权，也不可继承。卓越是与生俱来的，只等我们敢于去实现。基思正确地暗示了卓越不是某种我们需要去填补的空缺。我们只是忘却了卓越。我们允许“系统”去压制卓越。我们相信其他人对我们的看法就是真相。小孩子一开始不是那样的。小孩子与生俱来地对周围的世界充满无与伦比的好奇，直到社会磨灭了人们对卓越的热情和机会。真是太可悲了。小孩一开始其实都很卓越。

    我记得米开朗基罗说过：“每块石头里都有一座雕像，雕塑师的工作只是去发现它。”人和组织也是这样，都有内在的无与伦比的雕像。我们都有内在的卓越，而发现它是我们的机会和责任。我们必须成为自己的雕塑师，不能等靠他人来发掘。如果我们只是被动等待卓越的许可，我们要等很久。卓越来自我们自己内心。父母、老师、朋友和老板的任务不是雕塑我们，而是鼓励我们、创造条件、提供工具，让我们自我发现。

    卓越来自自身，只需点一把火。回到基思•山下的问题，勇于卓越是否值得？只有你能为你自己和你的组织回答这个问题。作为一个深得老天眷顾，同时又深受鼓舞的创新迷，我认为至少得敢于去尝试卓越，否则，我将无法面对自己。

    本文改写自《商业模式创新工场》（The Business Model Innovation Factory）。索尔•卡普兰是该书作者，也是位于罗得岛州普罗维登斯市的商业创新工场（Business Innovation Factory）的创始人和主要推动者。他的博客地址是连接索尔。

    Business model innovation is an epoch journey and requires daring to be great. Keith Yamashita, Chairman of SYPartners and one of the most thoughtful and influential strategy consultants I know, asked the question that still haunts and compels me at one of BIF's annual Collaborative Innovation Summits that brings together innovation junkies from around the world to share personal transformation stories. (Check out BIF-8 taking place in Providence, RI on September 19-20.) Keith asked the question, is it worth daring to be great? No

    consulting buzzwords, no ambiguity, just a simple question for all of us to ponder. Implied within Keith's question is the presumption we can all be great. We just have to dare to do it. Greatness isn't something conferred or willed by others. It isn't an entitlement or an inheritance. Greatness is innate and waiting for us to dare to achieve it. Keith rightly suggests greatness isn't a deficit that you have to fill. We unlearn greatness. We permit "the system" to suppress greatness. We start to believe what other people say about us as being true about us. Kids don't start out that way. Kids are innately and wonderfully curious about the world around them until sadly society wears the enthusiasm and opportunity for greatness down. All kids start great.

    I'm reminded of Michelangelo saying, "every block of stone has a statue inside and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it". The same is true for people and organizations. Each is born with an incredible sculpture inside. We all have greatness within us and it's our opportunity and responsibility to discover it. We must be our own sculptors and not wait or depend on being sculpted by others. If we're waiting for permission to be great we will be waiting a very long time. Compelling sculptures are born of self-exploration and personal passion. Greatness comes from within. It's not up to parents, teachers, friends, and bosses to do the sculpting but to encourage us, create the conditions, and provide the tools for self-sculpting.

    Greatness comes from within and starts with the lighting of a fire. So back to Keith Yamashita's question, is it worth daring to be great? Only you can answer the question for yourself and your organization. For this blessed and inspired innovation junkie my answer is, I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't dare to at least try.

    This piece is adapted from The Business Model Innovation Factory. Saul Kaplan is the author of The Business Model Innovation Factory. He is the founder and chief catalyst of theBusiness Innovation Factory (BIF) in Providence, RI, and blogs regularly at It's Saul Connected. Follow him on Twitter at @skap5.