Human Energy: The Powerhouse of Innovation

“The enterprise that does not innovate ages and declines. And in a period of rapid change such as the present – the decline will be fast.”

– Peter Drucker Author, management consultant (1909-2005)

Somewhere deep in the recesses of our minds, probably from our first biology class in high school, resides the automatic response to the following question, “Mitochondria is the ‘what’ of the cell?” 

Powerhouse! Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Mitochondria provide the energy to keep the cell alive and thriving.

So, here’s a question for you . . . if Peter Drucker is right . . . If innovation is the powerhouse of growth for a company . . . what is the powerhouse of Innovation? What keeps innovation within a company alive and thriving? Many CEOs and companies are desperately seeking the answer to this question. They are desperate to unleash innovation within their organization. Without innovation, companies become uncompetitive, they stumble and then they disappear. 

Why do companies struggle to consistently innovate? It can’t be a lack of resources. A search on Amazon shows there are more than 75,000 books on the subject. There are books about innovation frameworks, books featuring case studies, books with inspirational stories, and books about applying the scientific method to unlock innovation. And, if you do not like the existing books, Amazon says another 189 books are ‘coming soon.’

With all of the resources at our disposal, why is innovation so hard to produce and sustain? 

Invention is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.

-Thomas A. Edison

The powerhouse of Innovation is Energy: Human Energy. 

Energy to be creative. Energy to be courageous.

Energy to try. Energy to simplify. 

Energy to think of better questions. Energy to answer every question. 

Energy to push through the bureaucracy. 

Energy to believe in the idea. Energy to believe in each other. 

Energy to try again when you have failed. Energy to admit you were wrong and pivot. 

Energy to stay optimistic.

Energy to move with urgency. Energy to stay patient. 

Energy to do it right. Energy to never stop.

So how can an individual or an organization build and sustain human energy for innovation?

At the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, we have worked for 25+ years with elite world class athletes, special forces, Fortune 100 companies’ CEOs and employees at every level in an organization across the globe. We have developed a holistic, science-based approach to fuel performance, and enable individuals to define a personally compelling purpose that motivates them to build their physical, mental and emotional energy. 

But today, there are massive pressures that fatigue the entire workforce to its core. Traditional business models are being disrupted by non-traditional competitors (think retailers and Amazon). The frenetic pace of the workweek continues to accelerate and length of the workday grows longer with global communication between teams and customers happening at all hours. Expectations and scrutiny have become increasingly elevated with activist shareholders demanding faster returns, activist customers requiring more responsive service and consumer activists tweeting or demonstrating for more responsible brands.

 The impact of these forces on human energy and performance is truly striking: 

-         75% of employees report moderate to high levels of stress and 77% of these employees self-report above average levels of fatigue[i]. 

-         64% of CEOs are eliminated from their role in four years or less and 40% do not make it past six quarters.

-         The stress and fatigue on leadership is impacting decision making with Harvard Business Review reporting that over the last 10 years, there has been a 36% increase in the number of CEOs who have had to step aside due to improper moral or ethical decisions.

This is why the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute has created programs to enrich the holistic health and wellbeing of executives and employees and, as a result, their ability to innovate for their organization.

My team at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute is eager to partner with individuals and companies who are seeking to enhance their energy for innovation. 

[i] 2014 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report