Winston Churchill said, “Kites rise highest against the wind—not with it.”
For businesses to succeed in a big way, owners need to use disruptive thinking. Here’s what this means for you.
What is disruptive thinking?
The term “disruptive thinking” is ubiquitous, but there doesn’t seem to be a set definition. Here are some ways in which it’s used: thinking outside the box, being counterintuitive, looking at the larger picture, changing the status quo. As you may guess from the term, it’s thinking in a nonconventional way. In a word: innovation.
How can you practice disruptive thinking?
If you’re a conventional sort of person like me, trying to do the best you can, it may not be enough to make you a disruptive thinker. You could use resources to help you hone disruptive thinking skills.
If you search “disrupt” in the book section of Amazon, you’ll see 26 pages of book listings on the subject. Most of these relate to disruption in business. Take your pick.
If you search “disruption” in TED talks, you’ll find 216 results. Again, many of these relate to business and you can listen to those that interest you.
There are a seemingly endless number of articles that you can find online by searching “disruptive thinking.” The more you read, the more you can pick up ideas on how to apply this way of looking at things for your business.
Final thought
The business world is changing at lightning speed and small business owners need to be prepared to change or fail. It doesn’t mean you have to invent the next great technology. You merely need to do things that make your business stand out in a new way or be more productive. Try thinking in a counterintuitive way as a means of arriving at an innovative idea. Think “disruptive thinking.”
