Although efficiency is not the opposite of innovation, the structures and behaviors that create them may be opposed.

If you want people to crank out as many widgets as possible in the shortest time, you can probably disregard their well-being—until they die of exhaustion—in favor of getting more and more done. However, if you are trying to bring something new into the world, you need a whole different set of behaviors. By its nature, creativity is an internal process within people, and so we must take into account the processes that happen inside them if we want to allow a group of people to be sustainably, reliably creative. The first third of our journey is dedicated to that holistic understanding.

In Chapter 1, we will lay out the foundation of our argument, taking a close look at what exactly the innovation economy we find ourselves in is and the stars by which companies may navigate it.

In Chapter 2, we will survey the mindsets and skill sets that stabilize people in their encounters with the volatility of entrepreneurial life, centering on the twin virtues of authenticity and mindfulness.

In Chapter 3, we will take a look at what it’s like to work with people. Since our current problems demand more than one mind, we’ll lay out what it means for people to work effectively together.

Finally, in Chapter 4, we will deconstruct the “long-term view.” We will consider the nature of value and how a company can produce it continually. This requires a coherent sense of the organizational self, an abiding pragmatism, and a recognition of the interdependencies inherent in any individual business venture. These are all topics into which we will delve.

Without further ado, let’s get to the delving.