Take the Risk: You Can’t Innovate in The Comfort Zone

Last weekend, I stood in an art gallery, surrounded by old photography colleagues doing wildly inspiring things. It tapped right into a part of my identity that engineered my entire approach to how I work today: my past life as a photographic artist and professor.

Seventeen years ago, I went to grad school at SCAD to chase my love for the photographic arts and to become a college professor. I was all in—I was a top student, took the unbeaten path, I graduated and while I chased my dream as "the professor" I showed my work around the world, taught study abroad programs in Iceland, Panama and Bonaire, and immersed myself in the arts and my students.

As an artist, my work was never about following the expected rules. It was a constant cycle of taking risks, testing new materials, and experimenting with alternative processes to create something entirely unique. You don't get to breakthrough, innovative solutions by playing it safe. You get there by stepping out of the expected. That is exactly why I always pushed my photography students in the darkroom and with capturing light and shadow, and it is exactly how I push those around me on my teams in the corporate world today.

I don't want the safe, expected answer. I want us to test, learn, take a risk, and experiment. My goal is to create an environment that nurtures fearless exploration. Standing in that gallery reminded me of something critical: true innovation doesn't happen in the safe zone. It happens when you tap into the raw, experimental energy that makes you feel like you and have the guts to try something completely unproven.

What is a "safe" assumption in your work right now that you need to completely disrupt?