Innovation is a frequent buzzword and has been repeated even more in 2026 than in previous years. You may consider yourself quite innovative already, or perhaps you feel that there is room to grow. You may even wonder if some people are just more naturally innovative than others. In reality, they are, but it has more to do with their environment and habits, than their natural talent. Those who are most innovative seem to be more curious than their peers without judging anything too quickly. They also tolerate ambiguity longer than others and ask better questions. Additionally, they tend to act before they are completely ready, are comfortable with failure, and often learn quickly.
The truth is that innovation isn’t necessarily some magic lightning bolt that comes out of the sky. Most business innovation is more about recombination instead of outright invention. Sometimes it’s helpful to borrow ideas from other industries or apply old solutions to broaden new concepts. You can always improve what already exists instead of striving to create something entirely new. Start with a series of questions: What does everyone take for granted in this field? How could we mix things up if we created something for a new customer? What is the most annoying part of the processes we use and engage in?
Schedule some time for innovative thinking where your mind has the opportunity to wander and you can really think outside of the box. You can also talk to your customers before they actually become customers to see what they want and need. Pay attention when they say something like “I wish I could do X,Y, Z,” and workarounds that people are already using to solve a problem or issue. Watch people using your product in real time and note any areas they are struggling with or don’t like.
Something that I like to do is to spot trends and look for upcoming opportunities. Pay attention to industry groups and publications and think about what you can do to innovate in your own role or business. Once you come up with an actionable idea, even if it isn’t fully formulated, take some sort of action towards it, and try to minimize the risk. You can build a small-scale prototype or pre-sell your services before committing too many resources to your idea.
After that, engage in a bit of experimentation and testing. Find out what areas are well received, and which can be improved upon, not falling victims to opinions, but looking instead for consistent themes and ideas. Continue to improve and innovate from there. It can be useful to think of innovation as a series of steps. Notice first (what others might not), then connect the dots, and then act on it.
I’m certain that you can become the most innovative version of yourself in 2026 with a little time and practice. Happy brainstorming!