Lunchtime Links: How To Rock The Innovation Cradle
Neil Young's autobiography is a goldmine of ideas for innovators and leaders. Also: Event professionals share the biggest last-minute event changes they've ever made.
You’re a leader when your competition tries to do what you do, but better. You’re an innovator when your industry is anxiously waiting to see what you do next. For an industry to be transformed, these two must go hand in hand.
Rock ‘n’ roll legend Neil Young shares his path to leadership and innovation in his autobiography. That and more in today’s Lunchtime Links:
Leadership hall of fame: “Hey hey, my my. Rock and roll can never die. There’s more to the picture. Than meets the eye.” These are the soulful lyrics of a Neil Young classic, “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black).” The Canadian singer-songwriter’s traditionalist bent, alongside his successful and lengthy career, make him one of the most inspiring innovators in the music industry. His memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, highlights the artist’s key to leadership and innovation—which Forbes contributor Henry Doss suggests comes from Young’s ability to inspire others and himself through his competitiveness and selflessness. “Simply stated, we cause innovation when we are more concerned about how others are ‘doing it better,’ than we are with ourselves,” Doss writes. “This is the confounding irony of leadership—that innovation requires both strong individual leadership and a powerful commitment to selflessness. Individual leaders are more successful—and more innovative—to the degree their focus is on the success of others before their own.”
Always have a plan B: BizBash recently asked event and meeting professionals about the biggest last-minute change they’ve had to make for an event. From relocating an entire meeting to a new country a couple of days in advance to designing a brand-new floor plan hours before an event, their stories cover many of the worst-case scenarios event planners dread. Have you ever needed to put a plan B in motion before or during one of your events?
It’s all about the donors: How can your association reach its fundraising goals for 2013? Network for Good’s COO Katya Andresen shares her 10 fundraising mantras for the new year in her latest blog post. One of her recommendations is to focus on donor retention. “Instead of spending more time hunting for new donors, invest in fundraising success by working to keep the donors you have,” Andresen says. What are some of your fundraising goals for your association in 2013, and how will you achieve them?
Share the cool stuff you’ve been reading today in the comment section below.
(Flickr via yle.fl/pop)
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