Interestingly enough, the “Apple IPad” was originally a not-so-flattering skit that MadTV put on years ago. Just search for iPad on YouTube and you’ll find it.

The biggest question I (and many others have): didn’t someone do their RESEARCH before launching this product? Were there any women on the team? And if so, were they not comfortable enough to speak up? HOW could this have gotten past any level of market testing and scrutiny?

This is a perfect case for why you need diversity on your teams charged with innovation. You need to consider different points of view based on gender, ethnicity, culture, language, and psycho-graphics of whoever constitutes your target demographic. And it would be nice to make sure you’re not offending or isolating an entire population of people. Just PLEASE, Apple, don’t release the new iPad in red….

“Last year was a tough one for many organizations, with smaller workforces required to do more with less. The new year looks to be more of the same. How can leaders of such organizations motivate their people as they head into 2010?”

Besides this being somewhat pessimistic about what the year holds in store for us, I found it a pretty broad question with varied answers from the team of business executives chosen to respond. The reply that got my attention came from Beth Brooke with Ernst & Young. She’s also a fellow Corporate Ambassador with Vital Voices. Her answer can be best summed up in her own words: “If cost-cutting wrapped up the last decade, this decade should be launched by innovation stimulated by the friction of diversity.”

She goes on to clarify that she’s about talking diversity not just along the traditional lines of

race and gender, but diversity of thought and experience. And I especially like her use of the word friction because it sounds better than conflict and tends to indicate less hostility. So many thought leaders in management have pointed out (and I learned the hard way) that a team without friction is not likely to be a very innovative team. Why? Because either everyone is thinking alike (not good) or folks are afraid to speak their minds (even worse). Good ideas don’t evolve out of those types of environments.

Instead, out of a confluence of different ideas emerges the next GREAT opportunity when the exchange is handled right. By handled right I mean the different ideas and opinions are productively managed and focused on a positive outcome. Productive conflict.

So the next time you’re in a meeting or talking with a colleague and disagree, remember that it’s a good thing. Diversity of thought can lead to incredible opportunities for innovation.

When working with current and aspiring entrepreneurs, I talk a lot about finding your  passion. I used to say that you know you’ve found your passion when you’re engaged in a task and time passes quickly.

I don’t believe that anymore. After all, time passes quickly when I drive the repetitive 40-mile route home from teaching 2 nights a week. More than once I have arrived home somewhat surprised that I didn’t remember the drive. Has that happened to anyone else? Sure. But does that mean we’re passionate about driving? Not necessarily.

Likewise on occasion I’ve had to dig into getting my office organized or my financial records in order. I can get to a place where I’m so focused I don’t even realize I’m hungry or that so much time has passed. Does that mean I’m passionate about those activities? Hardly.

Time can pass when you’re NOT having fun. Time passes when you’re focused. So how can you identify the difference between being able to focus on a task and being passionate about it? It’s about the energy.

Last night, I gave a workshop at UMBC on Finding Value in Ideas. Following our 3-phase model for entrepreneurial innovation, Get Sparked, Get Real, and Get Results, I talked for over an hour about a topic I am passionate about. Sure, the time passed, but there was something different about this time passing and my commutes home.
My energy was MULTIPLIED, not drained.

It struck me as I was driving home that I was PUMPED. Even though I expended a great deal of energy to be “on” for the group, I actually felt MORE energetic than when the session had begun. I started thinking about past occasions when I felt that way. Teaching an ACTiVATE class. Empowering a group of women. Giving an individual a much-needed empowerment “Boot in the Butt”.

Although these tasks often require considerable energy to conduct, I am left feeling more powerful, more energized, than I did before I started. THAT, I realized, is what passion does.

Passion for what I do has allowed me to function with less sleep, to get excited about the future, and to realize, day after day, that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. Sure, there are aspects of my “work” that I don’t get excited about (like finances) but because I’m able to focus on the goal – the path forward – those less-than-fun tasks are now inconsequential. It’s magic.

So how do you find out what you’re passionate about? Notice the next time you get that sudden surge of energy, of power. Stop and take a moment to think about the cause. It could be a particular task or the meaning behind it. I guarantee you if you pay more attention, the answers will become clear.