Research shows that great innovators are made, not born

Innovative entrepreneurship is not a genetic predisposition, but is the product of honing five discovery skills, according to research conducted by Dr. Jeffrey H. Dyer, professor of strategy at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

Dyer discussed his research at the Utah Technology Council’s (UTC) recent industry breakfast.

Dyer is co-author, along with Hal B. Gregersen, professor of leadership at Insead, and Clayton M. Christensen, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, of the Harvard Business Review article “The Innovator’s DNA” published in December 2009. The article examines research that highlights how key innovators are able to develop great ideas and set themselves apart from the rest of the pack.

“The habits of great innovative leaders define the foundation of their creative thinking,” said Dyer. “The research we conducted shows that these five discovery skills distinguish the most innovative entrepreneurs and executives from other executives.”

The five key discovery skills identified in Dyer’s research are:

• Associating – This cognitive skill is the backbone of the creative process. Associating is triggered by the other four discovery skills. It is the ability to take two seemingly unrelated objects or ideas and synthesize them to create a new innovation.
• Questioning – In order to find the right answers, an innovative executive possesses the ability to ask the right questions, imagine opposites, and embrace constraints.
• Observing – Through observation, great innovators carefully look for behavioral details—in the activities of customers, suppliers, competitors, etc.—to gain insights about new ways of doing things.
• Experimenting – The innovative entrepreneurs interviewed for “The Innovator’s DNA” all engaged in some form of active experimentation, trying on new experiences and testing new ideas.
• Networking – Innovative entrepreneurs go out of their way to meet people with different ideas, backgrounds and perspectives so they can expand their own knowledge and experiences.

“It is important to remember that creativity and innovation are things that can be cultivated,” said Dyer. “Only one-third of the ability to think creatively comes from our genetics, the other two-thirds of the innovation skill set come through the learning and practice of these five discovery skills.”

Dr. Dyer was an assistant professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania from 1993-1999, before becoming a full professor at BYU in 2000. His teaching awards include Strategy/OB Teacher of the Year at BYU, together with the Excellence in Teaching Award and the University-wide Undergraduate Teaching Award at Penn.

“It was great to hear about these five discovery skills and the impact they have on the creative process,” said Richard R. Nelson, president and CEO of the UTC. “The principles discussed show UTC members that they have the ability to learn how to become disruptive innovators in their respective fields and that this knowledge is not something they have to innately possess.”

For more information on the UTC, including future events, visit www.utahtech.org.

About Utah Technology Council
Utah's premier professional association, the Utah Technology Council has become the essential business resource for life science, clean-tech and high-tech companies seeking to achieve greater success. At its core, UTC exists to foster the growth of the state's more than 5,700 technology companies, ensure Utah develops the highest-quality workforce in the nation and attract an ever-increasing array of funding. Members join UTC to share insights with industry peers, counsel with government and academic leaders and receive help from professional service providers and funding resources.