Cultivating Our Inner Edison

It was 138 years ago this month when the great inventor Thomas Edison filed for a patent for the electrical lamp, arguably one of the most notable innovations created by this genius. Without question, this genius had a major impact on the advancement of civilization. To this day, all of us continue to benefit from his sweat, perseverance, and dreams. In the twilight of his, Edison was asked to reflect in his life and career. After some thought, Edison said, "I failed my way to success." What an amazing statement! What he making a joke or being flip? I think not. In fact, I think his response was, as some say, "spot on."

Edison was a tinkerer, trying out ideas that others before him had either rejected or not thought of at all. He was unafraid to step into the unknown or as poet Robert Frost once wrote: "travel the road not taken." He did this with the full understanding that that path may lead to disappointment or, in his words, "failure." But Edison also knew the unchartered path might lead to a new horizon and a tomorrow better than any yesterdays that had come before. As we all well know, Edison forged ahead  and "failed" his way toward reshaping the world in ways that had only existed in the imaginations of some.

I like to think successful communicators have a bit of Edison in them. If not, they should. The challenge of helping folks connect with others is an ongoing and, at times, daunting challenge. Often it requires these professionals to be at their creative best. And then their are moments when they need to be what I would term "beyond creative." By that I mean "inventive." Try new paths. Attempt strategies in which the results may not be known. Yes, doing so can be a bit stressful. But it can also lead to fantastic results. Much like Edison. Granted, even though most of us may not be a genius like him, it does not mean we still can't be inventors.