It\u2019s a confronting question. But for anyone calling themselves an entrepreneur, it\u2019s an essential one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today\u2019s fast-moving world, efficiency isn\u2019t enough. Streamlining a process or refining a product is worthwhile, but it doesn\u2019t qualify as true entrepreneurship. Innovation is what sets real entrepreneurs apart, it\u2019s what defines their contribution and justifies their risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Creativity to Innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Burst](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_354779812.jpg\")
\u00a9 B Robert<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nUnderstanding what makes entrepreneurs innovative<\/em> begins with recognising the difference between creativity and innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cCreativity is the process through which new and useful ideas are generated.\u201d
\u2014 Dawson & Andriopoulos, 2017, p. 45<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nCreativity is foundational, but it\u2019s only the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the idea<\/em>. The spark. The \u201cwhat if?\u201d moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut creativity alone won\u2019t build a business. What entrepreneurs must do\u2014what distinguishes them\u2014is take those ideas and make them real. They must build, test, refine, and launch. This is innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\u201cInnovation entails the implementation of the results of creative idea generation and exploration.\u201d
\u2014 Sarooghi et al., 2015, p. 714<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThat implementation process is what separates thinkers from doers. From doodled napkins to delivered products, innovation is the entrepreneur\u2019s job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entrepreneurs as Masters of Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Stand](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_3989727.jpg\")
\u00a9 Robert Byron<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDrucker\u2019s work helps explain what makes entrepreneurs innovative<\/em> over time\u2014they don’t just respond to change, they create it. In Innovation and Entrepreneurship<\/em>, Peter Drucker described entrepreneurs as change-makers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cAbove all [entrepreneurship] needs to be based on purposeful innovation.\u201d
\u2014 Drucker, 1985, p. 29<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nHe didn\u2019t mean gimmicks or invention for its own sake. He meant innovation that solves problems, creates value, or introduces new ways of working. Entrepreneurs don\u2019t just keep pace with change\u2014they lead it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, writing in The Change Masters<\/em>, describes effective entrepreneurs as people who \u201cknow what to keep and where to newly create.\u201d That strategic insight\u2014knowing what to protect and what to disrupt\u2014is rare. But it\u2019s vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cEntrepreneurs are the masters of change in their organisation and industry.\u201d
\u2014 Galagan, 1984<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Idea Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Creative](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_49545988.jpg\")
\u00a9 Rassco<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInnovation rarely arrives in a flash of brilliance. It moves through a structured process, one explored in the research of Perry-Smith & Mannucci (2017), who outline the Idea Journey<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Generation<\/strong> \u2013 An idea emerges from creative exploration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Elaboration<\/strong> \u2013 The idea is tested, refined, and expanded.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Championing<\/strong> \u2013 The innovator gains support, resources, and allies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Implementation<\/strong> \u2013 The idea is turned into a tangible product, process, or experience.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cCreativity is a process of ideas. Innovation entails the implementation.\u201d
\u2014 Perry-Smith & Mannucci, 2017; Sarooghi et al., 2015<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nMany people stop at the first or second stage. Entrepreneurs go all the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Good to Great: What Makes Entrepreneurs Innovative<\/em> Beyond Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_66613420.jpg\")
\u00a9 Fly<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nNot innovating has consequences. It leads to stagnation, irrelevance, and decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Westhead & Wright (2013) say it clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cRadical innovation is seen as a prerequisite for genuine entrepreneurship.\u201d
\u2014 Westhead & Wright, 2013, p. 23<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nCompanies that merely copy others, avoid risk, and follow trends will always trail behind. They are not entrepreneurial and they will never lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even those with large R&D budgets are not immune. Acs & Audretsch (1988) found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cInnovative output increases with industry R&D expenditures at a less than proportional rate.\u201d
\u2014 Acs & Audretsch, 1988, p. 679<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nIn other words, money alone won\u2019t make you innovative. Vision, leadership, and execution will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Innovation Is a Discipline, Not a Department<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Diverse](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_375071822.jpg\")
\u00a9 Ybutor<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nToo often, organisations treat innovation as a department. A silo. A one-off sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But innovation is a discipline. A habit. A mindset that\u2019s embedded in every function and every decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Innovation happens when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- A software company realises its data tools could also improve food security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A plant breeder cross-applies genomic analysis to environmental stress prediction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A small company rethinks customer onboarding, not with more tech, but with more empathy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cLeaders must make innovation and entrepreneurship a normal, ongoing, everyday activity.\u201d
\u2014 Drucker, 1985, p. 255<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nInnovation is not reserved for startups or tech giants. It belongs to anyone with the courage to build what doesn\u2019t yet exist\u2014and share it with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closing Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Surreal](\"https:\/\/agronomix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dreamstime_s_167422571.jpg\")
\u00a9 Bulat Silvia<\/a> | Dreamstime Stock Photos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInnovation doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It\u2019s not just for the visionary or the elite. It\u2019s for those who are willing to take a risk\u2014on an idea, on themselves, and on the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So let me ask again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you innovating\u2014or just improving?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe future belongs to the innovators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So next time you reflect on your business, ask not just whether you\u2019re improving, but what makes you innovative as an entrepreneur<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nComing Soon: Part 3<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udde0 Born or Made? Debunking the Entrepreneurial Myth<\/strong>
Are entrepreneurs born with something special or can anyone become one? In Part 3 of the series, we\u2019ll explore what the research says about personality traits, adversity, and motivation, and how entrepreneurial thinking can be learned, nurtured, and applied, even<\/em> within existing organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nAlso in this series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udde0 Post 1 \u2013 What Really Makes an Entrepreneur?<\/strong>
Redefining the word everyone uses, but few understand. This post explores how innovation, risk, and value creation define true entrepreneurship.
\ud83d\udc49 Read it here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\ud83e\udde0 Post 2 \u2013 Innovation at the Core<\/strong>
Why innovation isn\u2019t optional for entrepreneurs; and how it separates change-makers from managers.
\ud83d\udc49 This Article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding what makes entrepreneurs innovative<\/em> begins with recognising the difference between creativity and innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCreativity is the process through which new and useful ideas are generated.\u201d Creativity is foundational, but it\u2019s only the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the idea<\/em>. The spark. The \u201cwhat if?\u201d moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But creativity alone won\u2019t build a business. What entrepreneurs must do\u2014what distinguishes them\u2014is take those ideas and make them real. They must build, test, refine, and launch. This is innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInnovation entails the implementation of the results of creative idea generation and exploration.\u201d That implementation process is what separates thinkers from doers. From doodled napkins to delivered products, innovation is the entrepreneur\u2019s job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drucker\u2019s work helps explain what makes entrepreneurs innovative<\/em> over time\u2014they don’t just respond to change, they create it. In Innovation and Entrepreneurship<\/em>, Peter Drucker described entrepreneurs as change-makers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbove all [entrepreneurship] needs to be based on purposeful innovation.\u201d He didn\u2019t mean gimmicks or invention for its own sake. He meant innovation that solves problems, creates value, or introduces new ways of working. Entrepreneurs don\u2019t just keep pace with change\u2014they lead it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rosabeth Moss Kanter, writing in The Change Masters<\/em>, describes effective entrepreneurs as people who \u201cknow what to keep and where to newly create.\u201d That strategic insight\u2014knowing what to protect and what to disrupt\u2014is rare. But it\u2019s vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEntrepreneurs are the masters of change in their organisation and industry.\u201d Innovation rarely arrives in a flash of brilliance. It moves through a structured process, one explored in the research of Perry-Smith & Mannucci (2017), who outline the Idea Journey<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCreativity is a process of ideas. Innovation entails the implementation.\u201d Many people stop at the first or second stage. Entrepreneurs go all the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not innovating has consequences. It leads to stagnation, irrelevance, and decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Westhead & Wright (2013) say it clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRadical innovation is seen as a prerequisite for genuine entrepreneurship.\u201d Companies that merely copy others, avoid risk, and follow trends will always trail behind. They are not entrepreneurial and they will never lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even those with large R&D budgets are not immune. Acs & Audretsch (1988) found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInnovative output increases with industry R&D expenditures at a less than proportional rate.\u201d In other words, money alone won\u2019t make you innovative. Vision, leadership, and execution will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too often, organisations treat innovation as a department. A silo. A one-off sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But innovation is a discipline. A habit. A mindset that\u2019s embedded in every function and every decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Innovation happens when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeaders must make innovation and entrepreneurship a normal, ongoing, everyday activity.\u201d Innovation is not reserved for startups or tech giants. It belongs to anyone with the courage to build what doesn\u2019t yet exist\u2014and share it with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Innovation doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It\u2019s not just for the visionary or the elite. It\u2019s for those who are willing to take a risk\u2014on an idea, on themselves, and on the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let me ask again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you innovating\u2014or just improving?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The future belongs to the innovators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So next time you reflect on your business, ask not just whether you\u2019re improving, but what makes you innovative as an entrepreneur<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udde0 Born or Made? Debunking the Entrepreneurial Myth<\/strong> \ud83e\udde0 Post 1 \u2013 What Really Makes an Entrepreneur?<\/strong> \ud83e\udde0 Post 2 \u2013 Innovation at the Core<\/strong>\n
\u2014 Dawson & Andriopoulos, 2017, p. 45<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\u2014 Sarooghi et al., 2015, p. 714<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nEntrepreneurs as Masters of Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\u2014 Drucker, 1985, p. 29<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Galagan, 1984<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Idea Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\u2014 Perry-Smith & Mannucci, 2017; Sarooghi et al., 2015<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nFrom Good to Great: What Makes Entrepreneurs Innovative<\/em> Beyond Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\u2014 Westhead & Wright, 2013, p. 23<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Acs & Audretsch, 1988, p. 679<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nInnovation Is a Discipline, Not a Department<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\u2014 Drucker, 1985, p. 255<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nClosing Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nComing Soon: Part 3<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are entrepreneurs born with something special or can anyone become one? In Part 3 of the series, we\u2019ll explore what the research says about personality traits, adversity, and motivation, and how entrepreneurial thinking can be learned, nurtured, and applied, even<\/em> within existing organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nAlso in this series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Redefining the word everyone uses, but few understand. This post explores how innovation, risk, and value creation define true entrepreneurship.
\ud83d\udc49 Read it here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why innovation isn\u2019t optional for entrepreneurs; and how it separates change-makers from managers.
\ud83d\udc49 This Article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n