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vision in mind, their difficulty is expressing it to others. They frustrate themselves, as well as others, with their inability to effectively communicate. If you would like to find out if you are an "Innovator" or an "Implementer," the G3I is available for free on my web site at: http://www.bartongoldsmith.com/articles.htm.

The advantages and disadvantages of both "Innovators" and "Implementers" are equally weighted. Each is capable of running a business and creating wealth, but those with higher scores tend to be less able to work for someone else. What we have seen with the 10,000 business owners who have taken this survey is that those with higher scores tend to be in start up and riskier businesses or investments. Those with lower scores tend to be in second and third generation family businesses and are more conservative investors. The entrepreneur tends to be more innovative than a corporate CEO, these results could be a predisposition (nature) or a result of personal experiences (nurture). The ability to learn and apply new thinking is more of an innovative process while the ability to learn and apply new tasks is more of an "Implementer." High "Innovators" tend to have more disadvantages and advantages than high "Implementers" do -- this means that "Innovators" have a more complex personality than "Implementers" do, they tend to have more traits, both better and worse. Other notable differences are that "Implementers" have the ability to attend to detail in ways that "Innovators" sometimes find impossible. Also the incidence of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is much higher in "Innovators" than "Implementers", at a ratio of eight to one. This sub group also tended to be the most successful Entrepreneurs, as most had two or more income streams or businesses. The "Innovators" also confessed to being C/B students, where the "Implementers" were B/A students, most likely because of their ability to deal with detail.

Here are some tips for greater innovation:

• Get in touch with your intuition.   What does your inner voice say about the situation?  Rather than dealing with a situation strictly from an objective standpoint, stop and try to listen to your gut feeling.
• Try something new.  Open yourself to new ideas by looking at the situation from someone else's point of view (ie: your client, Walt Disney, Einstein, etc.), "How would they improve this?"  "What would they do to 'tweak' it?"

• Find new avenues for creativity.  Do something totally outside of your box.  Make a commitment to try something new once a week, once a month or even once a season.
  
• Allow yourself to make a mistake.  Not an easy thing to do, but give yourself the freedom to mess something up. The reason most of us become successful is because we've made lots of mistakes. In my business people don't get fired for failing, they get fired for not trying.
  
• You don't always need to know all the answers, so give yourself a break from such high standards. Find some Masterminds (people who know more than you do) and ask them some questions. Don't waste time trying to reinvent the wheel.
  
• Be curious about things. Train yourself to ask open-ended questions rather than giving answers.   If you really want a creative answer... ask a child.

We hope you have fun with this article and taking the Goldsmith Innovation /Implementation Index (G3I) to discover your own creativity and internal resources.

AUTHOR’S BIO: For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government organizations worldwide have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmith to help them develop creative and balanced leadership. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, business consultant and author. His column "Passionate Leadership" appears in over 100 newspapers, magazines and trade publications, including the Los Angeles Business Journal. Dr. Goldsmith works regularly with The Young President's Organization (YPO) and The Executive Committee (TEC). Considered an expert on business, he has given over 2,000 professional presentations and has spoken to audiences worldwide. He can be contacted through his web site at: www.BartonGoldsmith.com or at (866) 5-BARTON.

(c) 2002 Barton Goldsmith
This information contained in this article is not meant to be a substitute for professional counseling.

If you would like additional information on this topic or others, please contact your Human Resources department or Lighthouse Consulting Services, 3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403, (310) 453-6556, dana@lighthouseconsulting.org & our website: www.lighthouseconsulting.org

Lighthouse Consulting Services provides a variety of services, including personality assessments for new hires & staff development, team building, interpersonal & communication training, conflict management, workshops, and executive & employee coaching.

Lighthouse Consulting Services 
3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 453-6556