Do you know how to read the signals of change? In my recent interview with Dr. Indu Sabaiya, she could have said that the most significant driving force in healthcare innovation today is a result of consumers becoming more interested in their own health, the explosion of sensors and devices, or even technological possibilities – but, she did not. Instead, she went to the to the core of the matter and said that the single most important driving force is that the current healthcare system is not sustainable and that, “healthcare for the most part is still a source of frustration and heavy financial burden for the average person, and that force is causing healthcare stakeholders to innovate, change and improve.” That’s a true innovator talking – opting out of the buzz. << MORE >>

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, “the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” I have a friend whom Emerson would be pleased with and his name is Alan Blaustein; he has a big presence, when he walks into a room people notice, they listen, and before long they want to start a company. Why? He has an innovation story. He also has a patient story. In 2005 he was diagnosed with thymic cancer and experienced first-hand the inefficiencies of the healthcare system to a degree that compelled him to launch CarePlanners with his business partner, Dr. Nancy Snyderman.<< MORE >>

Sometimes we get it wrong. Einstein did not invent the theory of relativity; it was Galileo. We do not have five senses; we have nine. And the business competitive spirit is not lost; it’s trying to reignite. Business leaders know they need to rethink competition – in the March issue of Harvard Business Review, Editor-in-chief, Adi Ignatius, and Dean of Harvard Business School, Nitin Nohria, posed a difficult question, “has the United States lost its competitive edge?” While I’m not convinced that we have lost our competitive edge, I will submit that it does originate with competitive leaders and that is where we are in short supply. Think about the 2012 Right   Management survey, where the top concern of companies is the lack of high-potential leaders within an organization. In light of the market changes, how do emerging leaders instill the qualities of competitive advantage throughout a company? For those holding on to traces of skepticism let me share that competitive leaders in healthcare do exist and they are driving their own trajectory with vision, innovation and competitive advantage. Innovation performance expert Drew Marshall and I had the privilege of interviewing the respected CEO of Teladoc, Jason Gorevic, who embraces the new reality of retaining top talent and thrives on the business imperative of innovating for current customers. Gorevic is a refreshingly present CEO, who understands why Teladoc is in business and confidently manages the competitive edge of his company...for the full blog post take a gander at Innovation Excellence! 

Sensazione is the continual refinement of the senses, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience. After another mind clearing Sunday of wandering the National Gallery I picked up Michael J. Gelb’s, book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, and had to smile when I discovered that Gelb is a creativity and innovation expert whose writing inspires both the innovator and everyday individuals looking to disrupt their own thinking. Ironically, it was Gelb that helped me to connect the dots on the success and growth of HeartMath LLC, a company which understood its creative potential from the very beginning. After my interview with innovator Bruce Cryer, a founding member and Global Director of HeartMath, I am certain that the concept of sensazione and understanding how to leverage time were two key ingredients to their success. Cryer explains that they started with a simple concept “when your heart is involved in what you do, things go better.” I’ll borrow a quote from author, Catherine Hrudicka who says that creativity is the, “synthesis of ideas and that we must have a vision or an intuition of a place to go, new products, innovations and business models.” What steps did HeartMath take to make it to the global market from having a great idea? Designing a product around a new understanding of how the heart and brain talk to each other is not so simple. << MORE >>

Brian Solis has it right, it is the end of business as usual, and healthcare is no exception. Has the market reality produced a new set of assumptions, emerging opportunities, or a better climate for disruptive innovation? In my interview with Jack Corrao, the managing director of the Corrao Group, he stated that the healthcare landscape is being challenged by innovations such as cloud computing, microsensor devices, and most of all, healthcare consumerism. Just as Solis wrote his book to “groom a new generation of leaders, people who want to lead and are looking for the answers and inspiration necessary to guide others into uncharted territory,” Corrao observed that there is a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who want and need to learn quickly how to diminish any probability of failure.<< MORE >>

When I asked Rick Lee, the CEO of Healthrageous, where his entrepreneurial roots came from, he did not give an expected answer. When I asked him about healthcare and innovation, again, he did not give an expected answer. This is why I am certain that his company is going to make a distinctive difference - he was not imitating someone else or their philosophy . Rather than quell innovation by a passive acceptance of the status quo in healthcare, his eloquent ease with questioning authority has resulted in innovation that provides a unique experience for healthcare consumers. You will enjoy this interview, because while Lee acknowledges his roots from the 60's, he clearly has crafted a well thought out company that has responded to the changing and unmet needs of the healthcare consumer. << MORE >>

Biz Stone said, "timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success." This quote is a perfect description of Tom Lee, who shared with our listeners that his roots in healthcare business began in high school while washing dishes in an acute care facility - the business equivalent of starting in the mail room. He shares that when he was presented with the task of creating a facility from the ground up, he saw an opportunity to differentiate care delivery. Over time Tom has developed an unparalleled reputation for both timing and recognizing business entry points. As we explored the impact of social media within the healthcare landscape, he emphasized that we have moved from discussions debating the benefit of an online presence, to how that presence is controlled. << MORE >>

Where does creativity come from? According to Ken Robinson's Out of Our Minds, some people have strong abilities in many areas, music, mathematics, verbal reasoning, visual thinking and so on, and typically think of such people as Renaissance type figures. And while he explains that high ability in one area does not entail in others, he also frames creativity as not only a matter of inspiration, but that skill is involved as well. There could not be a better description of Dr. Steven Eisenberg, a board certified doctor of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, who connects with his patients beyond their diagnosis of cancer, by creating and singing music for them. << MORE >>

Tom Peters said, “If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.” There is an abundance of information on how to run or launch a successful business, but when it comes to turning around a business, the thinking elevates to an entirely new level. Yesterday, I had the privilege of interviewing Baron Hanson, the lead consultant for Red Baron Consulting on the mindset and communication skills necessary for implementing successful business turnarounds – they have 220 successful turnarounds under their belt. When I asked if most CEO’s are cognizant that they need help, he responded with genuine insight on what keeps the C-suite and employees up at night. I think that you will find this interview full of useful and rich content, please listen and enjoy! << MORE >>

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, defines flow as "...being fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of activity," in other words, optimal experience, engagement and skill. This morning, I interviewed, communication expert, Jill Royston, on how she discovered the meaning of flow in a very unexpected adventure while in London. Please listen to Jill's amazing story as she encourages all of us to challenge our boundaries, be intentional and to open up to flow... << MORE >>