INNOVATION LEADS THE LEADERS

           Truly breakthrough ideas rarely hatch overnight. Since I was a little girl, I always admire the creation of art. For me, an idea or a new design relates much with vision. And a vision itself reflects on a good leadership. I remembered when I was in school; I love to express the creativity in my own ways. I made my own daily hand written magazine, and let my friends read it. There were also times when my teacher called me and reminded me not to draw on my examination papers. At that time, all I was thinking is to make the examination paper looks good with a bit of design. But rules are rules and in the end, I transferred my art enthusiasm in the sketch book instead.

            My parents inspired me in a great deal. When it comes to learning with creativity, I look up to my dad. He is a great family leader with innovation thinking. The fact is undeniable because he portrayed his life doing an innovative job; managing and designing a gas pipeline. When I was in school, I did not fond the Science subjects. Hence when it comes to finding a mentor, I took the whiteboard at home and look for my dad. He would and could explain the complicated Physics’ theories to me with a creative mind mapping techniques, and I, who was not a Physics’ number one fan, will eventually understand.

            My mom on the other hand, said she couldn’t draw. But that doesn’t mean she is not creative. She is actually my number one mentor, along with my dad (I have two mentors at number one ranking). My mom enjoys her working life doing a town planning job. When it comes to learning the real meaning of life, or even ‘the survival guide at anywhere’, I will turn to my mom and seek for her advice. Without surprise, she would come out with the perfect solutions that I couldn’t even imagine before.

The creative atmosphere affects me, including the time when I was working as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer (PTD) at Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) Prime Minister's Department in Terengganu. My superior always encouraged us, the young officers on gaining more knowledge, enhancing skills and practising the creative thinking process at the organization. She is a person that looks into details, facts and figures, hence I have to make myself prepared; analyzing the issues including reading all the rules and regulations before I went knocking on her office door. I found it very useful for me as a young officer because every time I went to see her, I will gain extra knowledge.

At ICU JPM, most of the Management and Professional officers will be presenting the ideas and improvements that have been made at least once a month at the Headquarters. There is a special implemented programme regarding the idea presentation session at ICU JPM, called the Work Camp. We have panels that will evaluate the ideas and I believe that such programme is very helpful in digging the issues or problems that occur at the branches. The programme too, is a platform for innovative discovery in the mind of the officers. It is probably not a so-called breakthrough achievement, but I am honoured enough that the idea from our Financial Division about a procurement information system was presented to the Chief Director and all the directors at a financial meeting at the Headquarters.

            I believe that innovation and leadership are closely related. Leaders are innovators because leadership is always looking forward for a new vision, which is relevant to the current needs. Leadership needs an innovation to broaden the perspective, and to practise a new, impactful thing with great ideas. One of the mistakes that leaders make regarding innovation is they have the big idea, but they do not implement it. It is until someone else comes up with the same idea and does something about it. That is when the leaders are not called an innovator, but only a dreamer.

            When I came to the Diploma Pengurusan Awam Bil. 1/2011 course, armed with my 1.92 kilogram laptop (which I bought with my earliest salary), I could not help but astonishing myself with the trend; iPads and tabs. I realized that the acceptance of these bright technologies is spreading and beneficial to everyone, especially young officers who require a fast access to information. It is light, easy to be carried everywhere and I can say it is some sort of fashion statement as well. And being a successful wonderer as I am, I began to wonder how the idea of the iPad started. The person who was responsible for the innovation might be thinking quite far ahead when he was inventing this device.

            He is a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution, having his own strategies for selling new idea in the marketplace and also a business inventor. His name is Steve Paul Jobs, or better known as Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was the co-finder of Apple Inc., one of the successful companies in the world that produced various kinds of consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. I personally think that this is the leader with an innovative feature that came up with new ideas, and the ideas were something that none of us have ever thought before. I am interested in how he got the name ‘Apple’ for his company. According to Steve Jobs, he got the name when he was back from an apple farm. For him, the name is fun, spirited and not intimidating.

            That was in 1976. In 1996, Steve Jobs turned Apple around from the brink of bankruptcy. He set up standards for design and user-friendliness. He also changed the entire music industry when he introduced iPod, and the creations were emerging to more and more sophisticated innovations. I have a friend that I know since university. He is the fan of Apple products and only uses Apple products. The products really magnetized him and he came up with lots of great graphic design ideas using just Apple. I could say that the products were affecting him in good ways, where he used his skills and the admiration towards Steve Jobs as an innovative leader to create his own designs and creations.

            For me, less is more and minimalistic is elegance. Steve Jobs has proven his ability in ‘predicting the future’ by inventing such inventions that not only handy to the consumers, but having an elegant side of the designs as well. Take the iPad as instance. Has anyone ever think that newspapers, magazines, ebooks, textbooks, photos, movies, TV shows videos, music, word processing documents, spreadsheets, video games and other applications can be combined together in a small device that can be brought anywhere? Well that thinking never cross my mind, I probably need to practise more creative activities to polish my innovative thinking skill.

            But that is not only the point. Steve Jobs was an iconic innovative leader. He not only owned Apple Inc., but Pixar Animation Studios and a member of the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company. Steve Jobs was a demanding perfectionist. He would ensure on creating a product that will be ahead in the industry. He also set the trends, in innovation and design. This is proven with the creation and innovation of iPods, iPhones and iPads. Though iPod has traditionally swung out of fashion, I can see that plenty of people enjoy themselves using the iPhones and iPads these days. That is how influential the devices and of course, the creator of the devices were, additionally.

            When the world lost Steve Jobs in 5 October 2011, Apple too has lost a visionary and creative genius. That was according to Tim Cook, Steve Jobs’ longtime deputy in his letter to the employees. Steve Jobs ability to change the world has making him nominated for Time Magazine’s prestigious “Person of the Year” award. This shows that with an innovative thinking and contribution to the world, people will always remember you and that is how much you impact the people.

            To innovate, we must prepare ourselves to face the changes. That is how we can be a good leader that inspires innovation. To become a better leader, we learn from experience and do more readings, as well as make everything around us meaningful. This is because people do a better job when they believe in what they do. Do things with passion. If you think you do not have so much passion about something, then switch. Switch, make experiments and discover yourself and your potential.

            To ensure the development as a leader, I will adapt myself with changes. The learning process will be continuous, includes learning to practise innovative thinking in my daily routines. I will packed myself with new skills and knowledge, as well as attaining the creativity and innovation around me.

When we create a new tool, we are innovating. When we are not innovating, we are the tool or the ‘tool’ is an extension of us. The capacity to innovate relates with commitment. Hence, giving a high commitment and full responsible to our job as a PTD officers will lead us to become a better leader in the future, much assure as a better leader with some breakthrough ideas.

                       

"Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found."

— James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)

 

NAJWANI BT. NOOR HASSAN
SIDANG C



REFERENCES

1.     Elaine Dundon (2002). “The SEEDS of Innovation – Cultivating the Synergy that Fosters New Ideas.” United States of America: American Management Association.

2.     (2003). “Harvard Business Review on the Innovative Enterprise.” Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.

3.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Steve_Jobs

4.     http://www.forbes.com/steve-jobs/

5.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_inc

6.     http://www.innovation.cc/discussion-papers/selman.pdf

7.     http://www.leadershipnow.com/creativityquotes.html