Each year I treat myself to quality time with a group of long-time clients. I call these folks (who are mostly men) “Patty’s Pioneers.” We’ve been hanging out together for over two decades. The group has evolved over time, with people retiring and new folks being recruited in to the fold. The group is hand-picked by me based on how these people are “wired.” What I mean by that is that each of these pioneering souls has a number of similarities in their backgrounds, in how they view the world, solve problems, and create businesses. A few of these hardy souls have remained with the same companies for the two decades I’ve known them. Others have migrated (usually with their teams) a few times. Still others have started their own companies several times in the period I’ve known them. What they all have in common is a remarkable patience for listening to one another’s stories, lending support, advice and kudos. As you can imagine, it’s a privilege for me to be able to sit at their feet and listen raptly to their stories of pioneering adventures.

The products that Patty’s Pioneers have created all have a large component of software, but, of course, they interact with both the physical world and the digital one.

After listening, once again, to their stories last week, I wrote a quick synopsis of some of the practices or habits of these successful innovators.

Building an Innovation Culture
Learnings and Take-Aways from Patty’s Pioneers – Fall 2014 Meeting
By Patricia B. Seybold, CEO, The Patricia Seybold Group, September 25, 2014

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