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Ego

It’s constantly a struggle for many people to let go of not only the desire to be right, but the desire to be acknowledged as the originator of an idea.  I just finished reading a book called ‘The Innovators’, about the history of the development of the computer and all that has come from it.  

Blind

One of the most amazing aspects of this history is how many big companies dismissed and derided new ideas coming down the pike from their own developers and engineers.  So much so that the smart people at the large corporations figured out they needed to isolate their innovators away from the corporate bureaucracy, even to the point of setting them up on the opposite coast. 

And even then most of these large companies did not exploit what was discovered and invented right in their own labs.  Why? Because they believed that their version of the future was correct, and it didn’t include outlandish ideas like transistor radios or personal computers. 

Mindset Matters

This quote is by Akio Morita, the founder of Sony Electronics.  As a result of his mindset, Sony has had an amazing run at the forefront of electronic product development. Their record isn’t perfect, they missed out on some things, but overall they have been able to grab hold of new ideas and run with them.

For me the application of the idea behind this quote, whether in business, science, religion, or life, is simple.  Let my ego and greed diminish and let my open mindedness and love of others increase.

Drawing and commentary © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Quote by Akio Morita, 1921 – 1990, Founder and Chairman of Sony