M any entrepreneurs dream of catching lightning in a bottle — of harnessing new, powerful ideas that will propel their business to the cutting edge. Whether they call it disruption, innovation, or genius, many business books focus on the “lightning” side of the equation. But those flashes of brilliance mean nothing without a bottle to capture them in. According to author and physicist Safi Bahcall, if you want to turn momentary inspiration into tangible success, you need structure. Bahcall explores this idea in his book, “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.” He examines many successful innovations that were originally deemed “crazy” or “doomed to fail,” including the breakout success of the James Bond movies and how Lipitor became a pharmaceutical blockbuster. What these phenomena have in common is that they were supported and made possible by a positive work environment structured to nurture ideas that were “just crazy enough to work.” However, success stories aren’t the only focus of “Loonshots.” The book also examines companies that paved the way as innovators, only to stifle change and lose momentum. Bahcall puts Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), Polaroid, and other titans that let the lightning out of the bottle under the microscope to show readers where the companies’ organizational structures went wrong. To Bahcall, the way business owners organize their team is With ‘Loonshots’ ACHIEVE INNOVATIONAL SUCCESS
PASSION OR BURNOUT? How Leaders Can Combat Obsessive Passion
If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
This is a lovely old saying that needs to be thrown straight into the trash. Even when someone is fortunate enough to have a job they truly love, that job is still work, which means they’re going to need a break from time to time. Unfortunately, employees who are passionate about their work are also most at risk for burnout. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The three symptoms of burnout as defined by the WHO are:
1. Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2. Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
3. Reduced professional efficacy
Burnout can affect anyone in any industry, but a study published in the Journal of Personality found that individuals with “obsessive passion” for their work are the most likely to suffer from burnout. According to the study, this is due to the fact that “obsessive passion produces conflict between work and other life activities because the person cannot let go of the work activity.” Individuals with purpose-driven work, such as executives, nonprofit employees, teachers or principals, nurses, and physicians, are the most likely to fall into the trap of obsessive passion. In order to prevent burnout in the workplace, leaders must promote what the Journal of Personality study called “harmonious passion.” This mindset allows individuals to fully engage in the work they enjoy while also creating habits that prevent future conflict. Dr. Edward Ellison, co-CEO of The Permanente Federation, urged leaders to speak against our culture’s “always on” mindset of working at all hours. “If you are so inspired to do what you do, then you’re not necessarily good at setting boundaries,” says Dr. Ellison. “We need to teach people that setting boundaries is okay. It’s not selfish. It’s actually selfless. It allows you to be more effective at what you do, and to better [help] those you wish to serve.” Leaders must also keep an eye on the well-being of their staff. Emphasize the importance of taking breaks and not working through lunch. Create a culture that does not shame employees for taking time off when they are unwell, mentally or physically. Above all else, lead by example and don’t let your passion become an obsession.
the same as how temperature shapes water. You can be cold toward new ideas, which freezes progress and makes your company too brittle in the face of change, or you can be warm and let your team’s ideas flow in exciting new directions.
Drawing on his experience as both a physicist and the co-founder of a biotechnology company, Bahcall is able to make his case in entertaining, down-to-earth prose. Beyond being a good read, “Loonshots” addresses an often overlooked factor in the ways innovative companies
succeed at redefining their industry, making it a great addition to any entrepreneur’s library.
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