This work offers a summary of the book “INNOVATE LIKE EDISON: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor” by Michael Gelb and Sarah Caldicott.
Thomas Edison is the greatest innovator in American history: he generated a record-breaking 1,093 US patents and 1,293 international patents over 62 successive years. He founded the world’s first research lab and General Electric. These have formed the basis of some of today’s billion dollar industries.
Gelb and Caldicott have researched Edison’s competencies and strategies. They suggest that his exceptional innovations skills are based on five competencies and twenty-five best practices. They recommend such strategies as developing a solution-centered mindset, harnessing mastermind collaboration and focusing intensively on creating value. These general suggestions are broken down into practical measures: they explain how to create the best multi-disciplinary teams, and why you should recruit the best possible people. They believe in rewarding collaborators generously, and discuss the best ways to network. Innovate like Edison also includes tactical, long-term advice, such as when to consider up-scaling.
In summary, the authors suggest that “Edison was, of course, an exceptional genius, but the greatest product of his genius was the establishment of a systematic approach to success that he believed anyone could emulate”. Gelb and Caldicott describe this systemic approach, and suggest how to implement it.