"Innovation often dies in the quiet comfort of mutual delusion." - Futurist Jim Carroll
Let's talk about innovation.
I was on a Zoom with a potential client yesterday, looking into an innovation-themed leadership event they were pulling together. One thing that became obvious was that they didn't really want the session to focus on the real big issues the organization is faced with.
Sadly, this often seems to be the case - people refusing to ignore the very things that are holding them back from moving forward. And in an era of relentless disruption, that means the greatest threat to their future isn't a competitor, slow product innovation, or internal collaboration failure.
It’s the team's collective agreement to ignore reality.
When a team or an entire industry chooses comfort over truth, they enter a state of "mutual delusion."
Here is how this concept manifests in the context of innovation:
(a long list of reasons is in the origianl post)
The comfort of linear planning: In an exponential world, the five-year roadmap acts as a corporate security blanket. Relying on it is a form of collective delusion that provides a false sense of predictability in a chaotic environment.
The nostalgia tap: Clinging to the "glory days" of past success is perhaps the most common mutual delusion. It prevents a team from recognizing a fundamental rupture in their industry until it is too late to pivot.
All of these are the very reasons why it's the rebels, misfits, and outcasts who excel at innovation - because they are the ones who refuse to participate in the charade!---
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Futurist Jim Carroll has a long list of detailed observations on why some organizations succeed at innovation while others fail. He's come to understand that most of it is own-goal failure.
#Innovation #Delusion #Leadership #Reality #Disruption #Change #Truth #Culture #Strategy #Mindset #Rebels #Comfort #Denial #Future #Growth #Transformation #Challenge #Hubris #Courage #Honesty #Progress #Misfits #Thinking #Clarity #onwardsandupwards
Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/02/daily-inspiration-innovation-often-dies-in-the-quiet-comfort-of-mutual-delusion/
