RE:Think Innovation

About the Author

Carla Johnson is a world-renowned storyteller, an entertaining speaker, and a prolific author. Having lived, worked, and keynote on five continents, she’s partnered with top brands and conferences to train thousands of people on how to rethink the work that they do and the impact they can have. Carla’s visionary expertise has inspired and equipped leaders at all levels to embrace change, welcome new ideas, and transform their business.

Main Idea

In her book, RE:Think Innovation, Carla Johnson encourages us to come up with our own great ideas. Many people mistakenly believe that “innovation isn’t sustainable,” but there are ways to achieve the outcomes you want. Innovation is often presented as something confusing, complex, and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The book aims to demystify the innovation process and show that it is accessible to everyone, not just a select few.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What Is Innovation?
3. Why People Don’t Innovate
4. How to Innovate: The Perpetual Innovation Process
5. Setting Objectives
6. The Formula for Setting Objectives
7. RE:Think Innovation and Become a Perpetual Innovator

Introduction

The book opens by challenging the misconception that innovation is inherently complex and only achievable by a select few. Johnson posits that everyone has the potential to be innovative, but societal and organizational structures often stifle this potential. She encourages readers to rethink their approach to innovation and adopt a mindset that embraces creativity and continuous improvement.

What Is Innovation?

Innovation is often misunderstood and misdefined. If you were to ask ten people to define innovation, you would likely get ten different answers. According to Johnson, innovation is not just about coming up with new ideas but about making meaningful changes that deliver extraordinary outcomes. She differentiates between creativity and innovation, emphasizing that while creativity involves generating new ideas, innovation is about implementing those ideas in a way that adds value.

“Innovation is intentionally made to be confusing so traditional innovators can appear more important than they actually are.” - Carla Johnson

To truly innovate, one must understand that it’s not about having a revolutionary idea but rather about improving existing ideas and making them more effective and reliable.

Why People Don’t Innovate

There are three main reasons why people don’t innovate:

• Overcomplication: People believe that innovation is complex and beyond their capability.
• Exclusivity: Many think that innovation is something only certain individuals or organizations can achieve.
• Lack of Knowledge: People often feel they don’t know how to start innovating.

Johnson argues that these barriers are largely psychological and can be overcome with the right mindset and approach. She encourages readers to view innovation as a simple, achievable process rather than a daunting task.