For a select few people in the world, deep in the core of their being, there exists an overwhelming desire to break through boundaries and explore new territories— to do something that’s never been done before.

While there are indeed predominately 5 characteristics of innovation that successful innovators tend to possess (and we’ll be exploring exactly what they are in this article), let’s not lose sight of the thing that drives innovation in the first place. I speak of course, of that white-hot, burning desire to reach plateaus previously undiscovered and say:

“I got here first. I did this on my own.”

Some of us also refer to this compulsion by another name: The quest for greatness.

Want to Know More About the Secrets of Innovation? Read these Articles.

What Does Research Mean in the Context of Innovation?

Evidence is the Foundation of Successful Innovation

Innovative Characteristics that Often Lead to Success

Typically, the type of person who naturally gravitates towards leadership roles is also the type of person who is most likely to drive successful innovation for business. In fact, roughly 91% of lead marketers are the ones responsible for creating and driving innovation initiatives that end up paying dividends in the future.

But what are the common character traits inherent in these innovative individuals? What similar thread binds them together under that lusted-after banner of “great innovator”. Are they merely products of our capitalist social system—founded on principles of fierce competition? Are they a result of the underlying pressure to obtain social prestige in one’s life?

The answer may be difficult to understand, but what the development of innovation requires is a unique collection of various traits that harmoniously combine into that singular identity by which innovation is perceived:

1. The Opportunistic State-of-Mind

Any person who’s successfully driven innovation for a business has an inborn sense to recognize lucrative opportunities and when to pounce on them. Their unique advantage is the degree to which they possess this opportunistic muscle and can use it to capitalize on those opportunities.

2. A High-Level of Education

Don’t believe every drop-out tech millionaire you hear telling you that post-secondary education is a waste of time. The ability to get involved with complexity is the degree to which an innovation succeeds or fails. Successful entrepreneurs are often experts in their field with a large amount of formal education backing up their decision-making process.

3. The Get-Up-and-Go Attitude

Say what you will about the entrepreneurs of the world, but one thing you cannot say is that they lack motivation in the face of adversity. Every great innovation in history was at first met with an endless chain of roadblocks and obstacles.Nothing worth having comes easy, and that’s why successful innovators tend to be highly motivated, persistent and resilient people.No matter where obstacles to innovation crop up, whether it’s related to the experiences and needs of potential adopters, negative reviews from potential users and early adopters, or a resistance on the part of a focus group to adopt an innovation, true innovators never give up.Trialability is the degree to which they determine if they’re on the right path—and the right path is never the easy one.

4. Careful & Calculated

Most innovators are not fly-by-night, cavalier renegades prone to taking reckless risks. They’re usually very cautious, risk-averse people who know that observability is the degree to which they can properly gauge any given situation. They know what will (and won’t) make an innovation fit because they’ve done the research beforehand.

5. Emotional & Social Intelligence

In addition to being highly educated, successful innovators know that you can’t move mountains on your own. They know how to enlist the aid of others in order to leverage their expertise, can sell their ideas in a compelling way, can foster a positive group dynamic and can influence their innovation’s rate of adoption through a keen understanding of human wants and desires.

Examples of Successful Innovation

Some successful innovation examples include:

• Amazon Custom
• Philip Morris International - Self Disruption
• Samsung - Creative Elite
• Nestle - Ingenious
• Ford Mobility - Crowdsourcing

Creating Your Own Innovative Success

Struggling to get your own innovative ideas off the ground?

At Normative, we collaborate with great innovators like you and help bring your ideas to life.

After working with us, when the early majority finally takes to your innovation, you’ll have the success you’ve always wanted.

Talk to us today to make your innovation a reality.