How Disruptive Innovation Can Enrich Career and Personal Development

Climbing the corporate ladder and reaching the top is what most people think of when the word “success” is brought up. While this is a well-established fact, reality seems to tell us otherwise. Socioeconomic changes for the past few decades shape what we know about ones’ success and career path. For what we know, the idea of a “company man” climbing the “corporate ladder” for success may just become an outdated idea in the near future. How and why?

Career Shifts

Statistics show that in the past few decades, fewer and fewer workers are staying in company related jobs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the median job for American workers aged 25 and above only range to about five years since 1983. The workforce for capitalist and developed countries is changing; people shift jobs and career rather than just sticking to one job or to a company. Employment studies have also shown the percentage of people staying in their companies for at least 10 years have fallen significantly. What does this tell us? It simply indicates that more and more people are abandoning the traditional trajectory to success or a desired career. This event is called self disruption or disruptive innovation.

Disruptive Innovation for Career Enhancement

If you don’t want to walk the traditional path towards a successful career and you want to create your own path and shape your own career, the process is called self-disruption.  If you think your current path does not reward your needs for professional and personal growth, then a career disruption may just answer your call. It is important to note however that a career disruption may not fit certain situations. First and foremost, it is not easy to abandon a career that already provides social and financial security. If you think the disruption would cause you to lose these aspects and you cannot take the risk, then a self disruption is not an option at this time. It is also important to note that the rewards for disruption are not only financial (and at first you might not even get this reward), personal, psychological and social rewards are also included. If you’re focus is towards the financial aspect, then career disruption may not suit you well.

Principles for Career Disruption

Focus on Needs that can be met Effectively

A key principle to disruptive innovation is to target markets where no one is or no one wants to be. Let’s take Sales.com as a perfect example.  This website offers an inexpensive, simple cloud based system to serve small and medium sized businesses. Now it is an emerging name even competing with leading providers. Be one step ahead, be cognizant of the world around you, this way you can know potential markets from which needs can be met effectively.

Think About Your Strengths

Think about the things that you do well, and most importantly, think about the things that you can do but others can’t do. These would serve as your disruptive strength. Find out ways on how you can hone these skills and effectively use them in the future. This way you create a market that you yourself can own and control.

Provide Time for Growth

Step back and allow yourself to grow personally and professionally. Let’s take the cases of Adam Richardson, Liz Brown and Clay Christensen, who all stepped down from their positions to pursue higher studies and were successful in changing the business world and having a successful career as a teacher, investor and consultant, respectively.