3 Steps to Cultivate an Innovator’s Mindset

Embracing curiosity, engaging in continuous learning, and fostering collaboration can help fast-track your career.

July 02, 2024

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If you want to move up the corporate ladder, you need to do more than meet deadlines and produce strong results. Employees who quickly move up often have an innovator’s mindset. These people ultimately position themselves as valuable assets by questioning assumptions and pushing their organizations to stay competitive. By consistently bringing fresh ideas to the table and demonstrating a proactive approach to problem-solving, they naturally attract the attention of higher-ups. Anyone can build an innovator’s mindset by embracing curiosity, engaging in continuous learning, and fostering collaboration among their team members.

Imagine you’re playing a video game where you must overcome challenges and unlock rewards in order to move up to the next level. Climbing the corporate ladder at work is similar, but instead of battling dragons or building cities, you’re navigating office politics and aiming to deliver on goals. You’re also not going at it alone. Your peers are often competing alongside you for the next promotion.

Soren Kaplan is the author of Experiential Intelligence, founder of InnovationPoint, and an affiliate at the Center for Effective Organizations at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

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