Culture Jolt #30 – Aim for true wealth, not just innovation

Welcome to our Conscious Innovator® process!

Are you ready for a new, insight-provoking “Jolt” … something that challenges conventional thinking about the "right" mindset for being innovative? It's not that the conventional understanding is wrong - just limited.

Jolts wake us up. They emphasize a shift of focus that taps into a deeper, more expansive consciousness. The result can be profound insights into yourself and others that bring out your full, innovative potential, whether in small, daily tasks or major projects. 

Jolt #30: Aim for true wealth, not just innovation

Over time, our understanding of “wealth” has been reduced, narrowed, even trivialized. The typical dictionary says wealth is “an abundance of valuable possessions or resources; all property that has a monetary/exchangeable value; all objects that have economic utility.”

But what if that were only the tip of the True Wealth iceberg? The word “wealth” comes from the Old English “weal,” meaning “a sound, healthy, or prosperous state; a state of well-being.” While most innovations are justified and evaluated based on their economic utility, what would happen if an organizational culture was focused on innovating True Wealth: a sound, healthy, prosperous state of well-being for all stakeholders?

Returning to the original “weal” meaning for wealth could seem revolutionary to many business cultures. Yet R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 to 1983) – an extraordinary architect, inventor, philosopher, and futurist – saw such a revolution as “natural.”

Bucky spent his life promoting concepts like design science (1951), “World Game” (1961), and “Spaceship Earth” (1963) to elevate human consciousness. His “dymaxion car” showcased how design science could aim to “achieve more with less.” Throughout, his explicit purpose – and his implicit notion of True Wealth – was:

“To make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”

That noble purpose embodies the consciousness so essential for generating True Wealth: a sense of being connected vs. separate; a mentality of abundance vs. scarcity; and a dramatic shift from competition to cooperation. More than anything else, such mega-goals are a sincere expression of our inherent, natural capacity to love unconditionally, to empathize, and to seek the best for all, not just ourselves.

Is it really possible to operate a business based on this renewed view of True Wealth? Contrary to what has been taught in most business schools, even the grandfather of modern economics and capitalism, the 18^th century economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith, taught that we have moral principles in our nature by which we can constructively strive for the good fortune and happiness of others:

“By acting according to the dictates of our moral faculties, we necessarily pursue the most effectual means for promoting the happiness of mankind, and may therefore be said, in some sense, to co-operate with the Deity,”

Innovation is the means, not the goal… the means to express love, to manifest the best for all, to propagate True Wealth. When we work within a culture committed to doing well by doing good, we naturally generate a sustainable, sound, healthy, and prosperous future for us all. And metaphorically, we ride the horse in the direction it’s already galloping. Let’s go for it, wholeheartedly!

-=-=-=- Now it's your turn -=-=-=-

Being a Conscious Innovator® has a 3 phase cyclical process: become aware, capable, and versatile. Try on this Jolt in your life and work, then take self-reflective time to engage in the process:

-=-=-=- An invitation to join our process and share your insights -=-=-=-

If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to join our process and share your own experiences, while learning from the experiences of others! We appreciate what one person said about the Jolt process itself:

Innovation is a world by itself. It can change lives and help people become more positive. Doing a Jolt is already something! A new habit that promotes innovation and reflection.

It’s totally FREE to participate. To sign up and join us, go to this link and follow the easy directions: https://innovate.vci.global/p/the-conscious-innovator. 

Even if you haven’t participated up to this point, it’s never too late to start the process! It’s like a concise gym workout that provides an insightful “pause that refreshes” and evokes your unique, innovative potential in life and work.