Innovation Report Card for the US (You Might Want To Hide This One Under the Bed)

John Kao is the author of Innovation Nation:  How America Is Losing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do About It. 

And everytime I have a conversation about the book or the concept, people are taken aback.  In most cases, they refuse to believe that the US is losing its title as Most Innovative Country.  In fact, being innovative is what we hang on to–we have this notion that no matter how challenging things might get–in terms of the environment, education, or whatever–we Americans will rise to that challenge and WIN because, well, we always have and that’s what makes our country so great.

 Uh-huh.  Well, I’d like to believe that.  I DO believe that we have the power to turn things around.  But here’s what we need to understand:  the US has been a leader in innovation.  Yes, we were the champions of creativity.  Yes, we have been amazing inventors.  Yes, we have shown tremendous strength in solving problems.

Emphasis on the past tense. 

But if you are ready to know the truth–and we need to know it in order to change things–you’ve got to face the fact that we have been resting on our laurels.  While we’ve been feeling all warm and fuzzy about our country’s great ability to innovate, other countries have been busy actually TEACHING and SUPPORTING innovation in all sectors. 

Don’t believe me?  Okay, I hate to do it.  Really, I do.

But you’ve got to take a look at the report card for US innovation.  It’s a list of stats that reveal our standing internationally on indicators that are related to innovation in a number of areas.

And you’re not going to feel like running home and waving it to Mom with a big, proud grin on your face.

Kao spells it out here.  Take a look and then remember this:  we can change.  But the first step is opening our eyes and accepting the fact that we must do things differently.

Discussions that include repeated use of statements such as “The US will always be successful because we are so innovative!” just get in the way of real progress.  It’s time to stop the blinders-on, knee-jerk response to the suggestion that we might be slipping in innovation. 

Kao has it right.  We need to get innovative about getting innovative.  The good news?  We can do it if we wake up, roll up our sleeves and dig in.

His book is an alarm clock.  Check out more here. 

Tagged as: creativity, creativity training, education reform, global economy, innovation, Innovation Nation, John Kao