Following Directions

Following directions isn’t always a “bad thing.” In fact, sometimes it’s almost a necessity. Take the fine print on the back of your prescription, for example. It’s probably not a good idea to decide that this is your best opportunity to defy the status quo and do something different. You should probably just play along.

In the world of business however, “playing along” is a sure fire way to end up at the bottom of the food chain. Innovation doesn’t happen by following a set of guidelines and directions; it happens because someone, somewhere was willing to stand up and ignore the directions on how to do something in search of doing it in an entirely different way.

All throughout school (at least if you were like me), you probably lost a lot of points for “not following directions” - that’s because the world is designed to condition people into doing what they’re told to do. But, in the real world, you won’t lose points for not following directions. If you do something different, it will either work or it won’t. If you’re reading this blog, I’m betting it will.

Creating change that matters is all about doing something that hasn’t been done before and, if it hasn’t been done before, then you’re never going to get there by following directions.

Only take two Tylenol at a time, but never kill your next great idea because you think it isn’t following directions. Time and time again, the world’s brightest inventors and most influential innovators will find exorbitant ways to ignore directions altogether. That’s the only direction you need to follow (with the exception of your prescription, of course).