--- title: Creativity: The 5 Skills of Disruptive Innovators description: Creativity can be developed canonical: https://time.com/3977239/disruptive-innovators-skills/ author: Shane Parrish article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-05T11:00:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:30.359Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The 5 Skills of Disruptive Innovators og:description: Creativity can be developed og:url: https://time.com/3977239/disruptive-innovators-skills/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c31c6e6c10897ab/69885d15f887dc7877e919bb/people-raising-hands.jpg?branch=production&width=478&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 478 og:image:height: 269 og:image:alt: people-raising-hands og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 5 Skills of Disruptive Innovators twitter:description: Creativity can be developed twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c31c6e6c10897ab/69885d15f887dc7877e919bb/people-raising-hands.jpg?branch=production&width=478&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The 5 Skills of Disruptive Innovators > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=9c505be1-81de-4f62-b36e-3e848817b657&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Kira Orange Jones on the Future of Innovation [Watch (HLS stream): Kira Orange Jones on the Future of Innovation](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xPzskySs.m3u8) (3:23)  _Published 2015-07-14. The Teach for America executive talks innovation and challenges in the classroom_ by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Aug 5, 2015 11:00 AM UTC  Crowd of People Raising Their Hands Crowd of People Raising Their Hands Getty Images by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Aug 5, 2015 11:00 AM UTC In [The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators](http://a-fwd.com/es=farstrblo068-21&it=farstrblo0a-21&fr=farstrblo08-21&de=farstrblo07-21&uk=farstrblo-21&ca=farst-20&com=farnamstreet-20&asin-es=1422134814&asin-it=1422134814&asin-fr=1422134814&asin-de=1422134814&asin-uk=1422134814&asin-ca=1422134814&asin-com=1422134814), authors Jeffrey Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton Christensen uncover the origins of “innovative-and often disruptive-business ideas.” --- > “” --- The [ability to look at problems](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/09/the-remarkable-ways-we-gain-insights/) in [a non-standard way](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/09/a-technique-for-producing-ideas/) might be the most sought after competency of the future. Most of us believe that the ability to think creatively is genetic. It’s not. --- > “” --- Behaviors drive innovation. --- > “” --- **The five skills of disruptive innovators are:** 1. **Associating**: Innovators associate ideas that are previously unconnected either to solve problems or create something new. This is [how Gutenberg created the printing press](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2012/11/gutenbergs-printing-press/). When forming teams, keep cross-pollination of experiences and perspectives in mind. But you also need the glue. You need someone in the room with loose associations who can pull ideas together. 2. **Questioning**: Innovators ask a ton of questions. In fact, they treat the world as a question. Managers ask ‘how’ questions — how are we going to speed that up, how are we going to stop this from happening. Innovators ask ‘why.’ They are the kid at the back of the class the teacher hates (and often, the person in the meeting the manager hates.) Not only does this [help you filter bullshit](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/10/filtering-nonsense/), but it helps jolt people from the status quo. 3. **Observing**: You can’t learn if you don’t observe. You need to always be observing. This [mindfulness is what allowed Sherlock Holmes](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/04/how-to-think-like-sherlock-holmes/) to solve cases. 4. **Networking**: Talking to people is a great source of ideas. People offer different perspectives. They may have just failed at something but you may be able to apply the same idea to a different problem. You need to be open to these perspectives, even if you just file them away for another day. (see #1) 5. **Experimenting**: If the world is their question it is also their lab. Fail often. Fail fast. Fail Cheap. Try again. Never give up. You can see how these are somewhat synergistic. They all fit together, each one making the other parts stronger. If you can only pick two focus on asking questions and networking. [The Innovator’s DNA](http://a-fwd.com/es=farstrblo068-21&it=farstrblo0a-21&fr=farstrblo08-21&de=farstrblo07-21&uk=farstrblo-21&ca=farst-20&com=farnamstreet-20&asin-es=1422134814&asin-it=1422134814&asin-fr=1422134814&asin-de=1422134814&asin-uk=1422134814&asin-ca=1422134814&asin-com=1422134814) is fascinating throughout. **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Farnam Street_**](https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2015/05/taleb-history/)**_._** **Join over 60,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/newsletter/)**.** ## Transcript In one of the most wealth countries in this world there are still communities and districts that you an predict with 98 % accuracy the likelihood of a child going to and through college successfully based on their zip code in kindergarten. And that is a crime. [ MUSIC ] I didn't know for sure what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was a kid until I made the decision to join Teach for America And become a 4th grade teacher. And my life was never the same. What was unique about my experience was schools in my own community weren't really strong at the time. Growing up in the Bronx, I was around families and kids every day who had big dreams, who wanted more. And weren't always afforded opportunities Opportunity for high school actually left my community and traveled over an hour to go to high school. Literally transported to a world where opportunity was limitless. I had an English teacher. Her name Cheryldine Woods. Without Cheryldine Woods, I may not have been able to successfully graduate from high school, and, And quite possibly not be here today. [ MUSIC ] Ten years ago, before Katrina, we had one of the most challenged educational systems in all of this country. On average about 70 % of the schools in the system were By academically failing kids everyday. And that meant that many of our kids across this city were actually trapped in failing schools with no opportunity to change that reality because the choices weren't there unless you have the means. Many of the families Right after the storm, along with the educators who were trying to put back the pieces of their lives. Rebuilding their homes and trying to make their way into a modicum of normalcy. Our system was missing buildings, it was missing teachers, and it was missing resources. And I think what we've done since then Is begin to create a system that provides a lot more opportunity, and a lot more choices for families across the city. No longer is it true that if you are a child growing up in poverty in this city. It is your destiny, based on your zip code, to attend a failing school. [ MUSIC ] The biggest challenge of the US Education System today, is that we still live in a country where the prevailing belief is that all children will not succeed. And what we need to do is change that prevailing ideology. To the belief that all children can, and deserve the opportunity to achieve. Regardless of their background, regardless of their race, regardless of their class in this country. If we've done our job, and we've achieved our goals, what we'll see are students who grow up to become leader Who can lead this community, lead this city, lead this country towards a better future. 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