The most recent set of articles has focused on computing and how it will impact governance in the future. It would now be useful to step back and look at the broader subject of innovation to understand how it drives progress.
In World Leadership, I define innovation as “a [new] idea or insight applied to solve a problem or exploit an opportunity.” This means that innovation is more than just computing; it is more than just technology even. It could be a new process designed to help people (e.g., microloans to entrepreneurs in developing nations). It could be a new way to make an old process work better (e.g., crop rotation). It could be a new product (e.g., smart phones). Or it could be an upgrade to an existing product (e.g., thinner diapers). Technology is rife with innovation because it is by nature continuously changing (e.g., voice recognition).
In World Leadership, I define four types of innovation, three of which play a role in societal leadership. Elevating innovations (e.g., computers) enable societies to reach a higher societal level. Preconditioning innovations (e.g., mathematics) set the stage for a societal level change. Dominating innovations (e.g., nuclear weapons) create power for societies. And comforting innovations (e.g., vacuum cleaners) make life easier for people, but don’t impact leadership. By far, most of the world’s innovations are in this category.
In World Leadership, I also identify the fourteen innovations that have driven societal leadership change throughout history—five of them are elevating, four preconditioning, and five dominating. Collectively, I call these the transformative innovations. Computing is one of the next transformative innovations, and we have already begun to see its impact. As the technology matures, we will see its impact on governance emerge all the more, driving us into the future.
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