Forty Over 40

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Forty Over 40 Asks: 3Qs for Nilofer Merchant, The Jane Bond of Innovation

nilofermerchantWelcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Nilofer Merchant. Nilofer has worked for major Fortune 500 companies like Apple and Autodesk, and startups in the early days of the Web (Golive/ later bought by Adobe). She lectures on innovation at Stanford University, and Santa Clara University, her alma mater. Nilofer is a leading thinker on changes in work and business that are being driven by the social technologies that have recently come of age.

1)  What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?
Do I have to pick just one? I ask because at the age of 48, I can
point to 3 big ones, and I’m sure this will be more true than not for
most of us. So rather than choose a specific story, many of which are
public and published, let me share the 1 thing I’ve learned about
reinvention?
I will say that in each iteration, when you actually start, you
feel like your success years are behind you. And then, 3 or 5 years
later, you’re like, “This was brilliant!” Not because it was obvious
that the new direction would work out. But because in chasing the new
dream, you manifest this other thing — invention, reinvention,
achievement — and that’s my lesson: it is in the doing, you become.

2)  Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?
It’s hard to narrow that down to one person, because I’m very
fortunate. So I’ll focus on what adds the most value. The person who
challenges my ideas while also showing me a way of rethinking it.
Roger Martin has been doing that with me of late on onlyness and its
economic impact. The person who reminds me about my own ‘why’ when I’m
in the weeds of things. Ruth Ann Harnisch has been playing that role
for me as I work on a story-telling book on how people dent the world.
And of course, I learn a lot by new questions. As an expert on
collaborative work, I get a chance to speak around the world. My
favorite part of any “talk” is when I get to listen because a new
question creates a place for a new answer, and new thinking. So I
guess that third “mentor” are those that are curious enough about my
ideas to explore them further.

3)  What is your biggest goal right now?
Not giving up!  I’m in the middle of writing my 3rd book, to be
published by Viking/Penguin in 2017. Which seemed like a good idea,
but in doing it, I find myself frustrated that it’s not somehow
easier. I’m not only learning the art of storytelling, but building a
framework and language for modern value creation. The distinctions and
clarity are taking a long time to come. And I wish for more patience,
and more fortitude. So my goal isn’t to produce the book, my goal is
to keep doing my best work to date.

Check out Nilofer Merchant’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Whitney Johnson

Whitney Johnson

Whitney is the author of the acclaimed Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream. She has been named on numerous Smart Thinkers and People to Follow lists by major media such as Inc. Magazine, Business Insider and Huffington Post and is quoted in Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fast Company, Forbes and more.
Whitney Johnson