I'm not an "Early Adopter..." BUT, I am an...

I remember in college when I took an advertising class, we had a discussion about "Early Adopters" and "Late Majority." Why that one lecture over 20 years ago has stuck in my mind and continued to cross my mind and ultimately business growth and life is beyond me!

But, what I am realizing is that I am neither. I'm an "Innovator." We studied the consumer adoption model (at least that's what I think it's called)

• the first 2.5% of the adopters are the "innovators"
• the next 13.5% of the adopters are the "early adopters"
• the next 34% of the adopters are the "early majority"
• the next 34% of the adopters are the "late majority"
• the last 16% of the adopters are the "laggards"

Why do I think I'm an "Innovator" instead of an "Early Adopter?" Innovators by nature have the following characteristics:

• Venturesome - which I would not consider myself. I'm not the first in line for the bungee jumping, base jumping, or sky diving...but when presented with an opportunity to consider a new way of doing business - Sign me up!
• Risky - Again, I would not choose "risk-taker" for my top 5 self-descriptive words, but realize that in business...I'm not afraid of risks - calculated risks, that is. 
• Eager to try new ideas - I've been told that my mind is "wired differently" - I'm thinking that was a compliment? My mind is constantly observing, asking questions, looking for ways to be more efficient, get better results, and make lasting impact. So, yes, I gravitate to new ideas and exploration of possibilities to think differently, act differently, and gain new results.
• Able to cope with a high degree of uncertainty - OK, sure. What do I have to lose? What's the worst possible outcome? Can I live if that happens?

So...am I an "Innovator?" It would appear so. Trailblazer. Risk-taker. Why? I realize that we would never be where we are today without "Innovators." Those individuals in our history who saw a way to do something different...

From the first cave man who figured out how to make a bow & arrow that I suspect helped him hunt better...to Sir Isaac Newton who created the telescope in 1668 and allowed us to see beyond our back yard...to Benjamin Franklin who invented many things, he held no patents because the US Patent Office didn't exist until seven days prior to his death. You may not recognize the name Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery. Then there was Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb among the other 500-600 estimated inventions. Not all "Innovators" set out to be innovators, some came by it by sheer accident like Will Keith Kellog who invented the corn flake in 1894. The list could go on and on as to how our world, economy, and businesses have been changed due to Innovators.

Are you an Innovator? Are you an Early Adopter? If so, I invite you to be a part of the founding Truth@Work Roundtable group in Louisville, KY for Christian business owners and executives and have a life and business changing experience! Truth@Work is a proven model that has been helping business executives for over a decade grow their businesses based on Biblical principles.

If you've ever been an "Innovator" - I'd love to hear about your experience!