Achieving the Impossible

Innovation is a key leadership skill. Simply put, innovation is finding new ways to solve a problem. Leaders must be able to innovate to solve the issues and challenges facing their team. Without innovation, there is no way to move past existing obstacles and achieve new feats. Innovation is the skill that allows leaders to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. 

We’ll look at two examples of innovation in this edition of the Leadership Chronicles. The first is finding a new way to solve an existing problem. The second is solving a problem that was once thought unsolvable. Alexander the Great accomplished both feats as he conquered his way through North Africa and the Mediterranean. Alexander’s innovation is a model for modern leaders to innovate and enhance their effectiveness. 

Kill them with Kindness

Alexander conquered Egypt when the Persian garrison surrendered to him without a fight. Though he had conquered Egypt easily, he knew cementing his place as ruler would be harder. The traditional wisdom at the time was to conquer subjects and destroy their villages, monuments, and homes to instill fear and “respect”. 

Alexander decided to innovate. He identified his goal of conquest. Alexander wanted to rule over the people he conquered. Alexander realized the easiest way to achieve his goal of ruling would be to gain reverence through kindness and power, which would avoid future rebellions and acts of defiance. He executed his choice by visiting sacred, ancient religious sites throughout Egypt and performing rituals exactly like a traditional Egyptian pharaoh would have. This act of kindness was not an act of weakness. It was an act of power that cemented Alexander as the ruler of Egypt, gaining respect from his new subjects. 

Alexander’s plan required him to completely transform his perceptions and conventional wisdom to create an innovative strategy that conserved his army for future battles while still conquering a valuable piece of his empire. As modern leaders, we can implement this same model to transform our thinking about problems. The new perceptions of simplistic ideas will drive innovation. The best way to do this is to think outside the box about the easiest way to accomplish your goal, just as Alexander did when he had to gain the loyalty of his new Egyptian subjects.  

Doing the Impossible

Alexander was faced with a troublesome little island city named Tyre. Alexander requested entry into the city, but he was refused. Tyre was an island city half a mile from the coast, which placed them out of artillery range. Their location was perfect. The island walls had never been breached before. The city leaders thought Alexander would be unable to reach them.  

Alexander knew he had to accomplish this goal. He realized he had to show his force and prove himself as the new ruler. This problem required innovation. Alexander thought the easiest way to reach Tyre would be to walk there. After all, it was less than a mile from the coast. This is where things got innovative. Alexander had his men build a causeway of wood, earth, and local materials to stretch from the coast to the island. This process had many setbacks and obstacles, but Alexander achieved his goal. He conquered the island by marching over the causeway and storming the city. The causeway still stands today as a permanent land bridge. 

Again, Alexander decided to innovate to solve an impossible problem by thinking about the easiest way to accomplish his goal. Modern leaders may not be faced with the same challenges as Alexander the Great, but we can learn from his wisdom. It may be hard to think about problems so abstractly, but it’s the fodder for innovation. When faced with a challenging problem, try to think about the easiest way to achieve the goal. Spend time thinking about how you would actually implement that plan. We can apply the same method as Alexander to solve our problems through innovation.

Be sure to check out Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman (our source this week) if you want to read more.

See you next week!

Rick