Thread by @jbeano

Many people see #crises all around us and think we're doomed: #ClimateChange, geopolitical struggles, inflation, social division and breakdown.

But could these actually be signals that a change is coming?

2 fascinating studies found 6 unexpected benefits of crises:
🧵

But first what does the word crisis mean?🤔

It comes from the Greek word krinein, which describes the absolute final moment a doctor has to decide which action to take to treat a patient. Past that point, the patient will die.

We may actually be in a “perfect crisis” for change

70% Americans believe the country is in crisis, and at risk of failing.

We know something needs to change. But how have we responded in the past and how have we come out ahead in the end? Funny you should ask....
ipsos.com/en-us/seven-te…

When we have faced crises in the past, we have responded in many cases with new innovations and adaptations that helped us survive, and even made us more successful.

But how does this happen and what is the relationship between crisis, #innovation, and growth? 🚀

A Swedish study looked at 3,377 cases of innovation. 🇸🇪 They broke the innovation triggers into four categories:

1. Market opportunities
2. Institutionalized search (paid innovation)
3. New technological opportunity
4. Problem-driven solutions (response to a crisis)

They found that the two largest causes of innovation by far are problem-driven and technological opportunities.

These could catalyze 2-4X the amount of innovation that comes from institutionalized search or market opportunities.

Researchers found waves of innovation that seem to come in patterns🌊 🌊

Often a crisis occurs, innovation happens in response, then a society grows out of the crisis, and new technologies find a more robust markets with new applications and uses for the technology.

This, along with new ways of combining these new technologies, paves the way for scale-up that makes the new products and services more affordable and viable.

This creates new opportunities and even more innovations that play their part in catalyzing new growth.

After an extensive review of historical analysis, The Brookings Institution found that crises continually bring unexpected benefits in the following ways:

#1 Rapid problem solving and innovation – a crisis can motivate innovative responses to what is seen as a clear and present danger. 💭

#2 Increased resiliency for the next event – the impact of the disruption, and the innovation it led to can galvanize support to prepare for the next crisis. 🏗

#3 New levels of cooperation—even among rivals – problems that are bigger than individual interests of organizations or nations can necessitate cooperation and closer relationships, while opening an opportunity for more in the future. 🤝

#4 Systemic change – crises can overturn old norms and overcome resistance of the existing power structures to change, sometimes even by destroying those structures and practices. 🤯

#5 Dramatic policy shifts – crises can motivate the public to demand change or force leaders to make significant changes that, before the crisis, could have required immense courage or led to political suicide. 🏛

#6 Emergence of talent – when confronted with crises, people rise to the challenge and rally around projects or solutions that they can contribute to in order to better their world. ✊

History teaches us that when we rise to a crisis, we can impact the future in positive and enduring ways.

We live in a perfect time to innovate for positive impact on the world we live in. Those who solve these challenges will be the most successful of our generation. 🤜🤛

Like this content? Check out my new book, What Could Go Right, for more insights like this and learn how you can find business opportunity and meaning in building a better future, while helping humanity out of the crises we face:

amazon.com/What-Could-Rig…

Also check out my article in @bigthink for the full excerpt on the relationship between crisis and innovation:
bigthink.com/thinking/benef…