Bill Serva: Creating Space For Innovation

Jun 23, 2020

33:05

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I once heard some of the best poetry is written by mathematicians. I notice this oddity in our work. I find some of the most creative people we encounter are engineers, scientists and IT professionals. Innovation and creativity, it seems, is not just for the actors, marketers and artists. A balance between analysis and creativity, data and out of the box thinking create a wonderful balance, and a desirable leader within a company.

My next guest on the Business of Intuition possesses that balance, and more. Bill Serva has been working in IT for over 20 years across several different industries including foodservice distribution, grocery, and not for profit companies. For the last 9 years, he has worked for Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona and is currently the Vice President of Information Technology.

Bill may not identify himself as intuitive, but clearly, he has a way of tapping into a cousin of intuition, creativity, and uses it to transform the way Goodwill of Central and Northern AZ is seeking to fulfill its vision of ending poverty in Arizona through the power of work. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

In this episode Dean and Bill discuss:

Intuition as something that comes naturally, versus something you have to work at intentionally.
How important it is when people have ideas or a gut feeling about things to let them explore it and see where it goes before shutting it down.
Stepping outside of the data and the ground floor to see from a higher vantage point, and make connections from a different perspective.

Key Takeaways:

People stop creating and listening to their gut about things if they know that you're not going to listen.
Good leaders surround themselves with people that balance out their weaknesses.
If we want to work in an environment of trust, we need to be honest, which sometimes means having a hard conversation.
Be teachable. Ask questions and reach out to other people that are good at whatever it is that you want to be good at.

Great resources

The innovator’s dilemma.

Blue ocean strategy

Connect with Bill Serva:

Website: www.billserva.com

LinkedIn: Bill Serva - VP of IT - Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona

Email: bserva@gmail.com

Connect with Dean Newlund:

Twitter: Mission Facilitators (@mfileadership)

Facebook: Mission Facilitators - Home

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

Email: info@mfileadership.com