Innovation is rarely a straight line.
Allow your business or community to send out pioneers, knowing that a few will find their way and change the future for the followers.
Pioneer Ants
Army ant colonies have a special class of ants called pioneer ants. Their entire goal in life is to explore uncharted territory.
They head out in all directions in hopes that a few lucky survivors might find that melting popsicle or picnic lunch. When the pioneer ants find food or prey, they excrete a pheremone so the follower ants can find them and join in on the feast.
Do you have a pioneer in your business or community?
Too often, we are the follower ants, waiting for someone else to set the trend. The problem with waiting to follow is that you may never start. A leader is needed to spur action, and what is shocking is that it takes a tiny number of pioneers to create large-scale change.
Pioneering at 9 Clouds
As 2015 hits full-stride, 9 Clouds is growing up and turning six. Despite our age, it still feels like a start-up, due in part to our constant attempts at pioneering.
What started as an education company evolved into a social media marketing company. Almost three years ago, we realized that a company’s digital presence needs to work together to attract visitors and convert these visitors into customers. This new focus help us pioneer new services and the inbound marketing model we use today.
Without our willingness to explore, and often get lost, we would never have arrived at the successful marketing model we have today.
Pioneering a Community
In 2009, Rick Devos announced a new “social experiment.”
He was going to give away the world’s largest art prize ($250,000) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, based on a public vote. What’s more, any venue in Grand Rapids could turn into an art studio and add its art to the competition.
How’d it go? As the Art Prize website tells it:
On opening day (September 23, 2009), 159 venue owners opened their spaces to display the entries of 1,262 artists from 41 states and 14 countries.
By the first Sunday, restaurants had run out of food. By the next Sunday, hotels had run out of rooms. On the final day of the event, a line to see the winning piece stretched down the street for over two blocks. Ultimately, the venue with the winning piece would host over 80,000 visitors, while the number of total event visitors topped 200,000. Total votes cast during the event: 334,219.
In less than two weeks, DeVos pioneered a community-changing event that continues to draw visitors and revitalize Grand Rapids. A single pioneer attracted a true army of followers that can build upon the success.
Pioneering Speed
I ran track in high school and am proud of my success. I won the conference track meet, finished second in two hurdle events at the state track meet and placed in state in a 4x400m relay.
My efforts, however, pale in comparison with the track Mecca of Jamaica.
Jamaica has about 2.7 million inhabitants. Yet, this island nation produced the following results at the 2014 high school boys 100m final as noted in Grantland:
| Place | Name | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zharnel Hughes | Kingston College | 10.12R |
| 2 | Jevaughn Minzie | Bog Walk High | 10.16 |
| 3 | Raheem Robinson | Wolmer’s High | 10.37 |
| 4 | Martin Manley | St. Jago High | 10.38 |
| 5 | Waseem Williams | Jamaica College | 10.40 |
| 6 | Tyler Mason | Jamaica College | 10.48 |
| 7 | Javoy Tucker | Wolmer’s High | 10.64 |
| 8 | Odane Bernard | Donald Quarrie High | 10.75 |
Now for those of you who have never run the 100m dash, this is crazy fast.
When you compare this final to the Minnesota high school boys final, a state with double the population of Jamaica, it’s no contest. The fastest runner in Minnesota would not have even been in the finals in Jamaica.
When you compare Jamaica’s high school final with the adult finals of the entire country of Canada (population 35 million plus), again it’s no contest. The top three runners in Jamaicia would have taken first, second and third in the Canadian national finals.
When you compare Jamaica’s high school final with the adult finals in the United States, again it is mind blowing. The top two high school runners in Jamaicia would have finished second and third at the United States Nationals.
How could a small island nation produce such fast runners?
The answer is pioneers.
At the 1948 Olympics in London, a pair of Jamaican runners shocked the world by taking home one gold and two silvers. Relatively unknown before the Olympics, Arthur Wint and Herbert Mckenley became instant national heroes.
Their success inspired others to follow their path. Jamaicans began sprinting. Generation after generation of Jamaican sprinters continued to have international success.
Over time, this success literally changed the culture of the nation, as youngsters focused on sprinting, attempting to be the next Usain Bolt.
Pioneering the Future
Innovating requires risk. Pioneering a new idea, service or event might not work. Neither do most pioneer ants looking for food.
Like the ants, however, continuing to explore uncharted territory will eventually lead to discovery. This act of pioneering can set your business and community apart and create the path that others will follow.
With a small number of pioneers, you can truly change a culture, start a movement and write the future.
Paying Tribute to Pioneers
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States, a day we pay tribute to one of our pioneers. King led and changed the future for those that followed. Changing mindsets, however, is much more difficult than making sprinting popular.
To continue King’s efforts, new leaders must continue to emerge. For any movement to continue after the initial pioneers, additional leaders must step forward.
Take this idea as your challenge today. Step up and continue the efforts of pioneers before us. You are needed to create the future.
Photo: Oregon14.
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