CHAPTER 16Inclusion Is the Road to Innovation
Most of us turn to music or art when we are trying to get inspired. But where do artists go to find their muse when they get stuck? In 1984, finding himself at a low point personally and creatively, Paul Simon went exploring on the other side of the world. He spent two years immersing himself in new sounds and working with new people 7000 miles away from where he'd risen to fame.
After embracing South African music and culture, he produced Graceland, arguably his greatest artistic contribution by introducing the sound of African music to the world. It returned Simon to relevance and cemented his place as an iconic artist for generations to come. His genius was in changing his creative process by incorporating diversity, inclusion, and innovation. Adopting this new model of working with others created something truly unique in music. By expanding his palette and working with people from different cultures, he diversified his mind and his art, guaranteeing him superstar status for life.1
Simon was an early adopter of cultural inclusion as a path to innovation. Today, we need to do the same thing in our workplaces and our communities. Our borderless, multicultural world requires a deeper appreciation for the diversity around us.
Examine your own life. We brew coffee from Brazil in a pot made in Germany. We take a shower with French soap and wear clothes made in Cambodia. We watch morning news on a TV from Korea, drive to work in a ...
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