Planting Ideas

I grew up with Disney's depiction of Johnny Appleseed. While I know there is much more to the story, the short cartoon and book do an amazing job of highlighting this man's heart. 

John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) was raised in 1770's Massachusetts. Chapman spent his life establishing nurseries to grow apple tries across multiple states. He led a simple life, was an ambassador for Jesus wherever he went and built up a successful business. When he died in the mid 1800's, he had built up 1,200 acres of nurseries that were part of his estate. 

Chapman is one of my heroes for a few reasons. First, he was humble. He lived a simple life of service to people, animals and nature. Second, he was generous. He was known for his kindness and generosity with what God had given him. And finally, he believed that if you planted something small in the ground (an appleseed) and waited long enough, you would unlock endless possibilities. 

As I think about my fascination with Johnny Appleseed and my gravitation to a career in innovation, the connections jump off the page. John Chapman has a lot to teach us about innovation. Let me share some of the lessons I imagine that Chapman would have learned traveling across the frontiers of the United States planting trees and sharing Good News and encouragement: 

  1. When planting trees, you have to look for the right soil. The same is true in innovation. New ideas don't flourish unless there is a Culture of Innovation in an organization; the soil has to be right!
  2. Innovation is more resilient when the levels of impact are layered. Chapman shared hope, planted trees, built businesses and lived generously. Any one of those things would have been a wonderful contribution, but all those things together made his work endure. Innovation requires integration across disciplines. 
  3. Chapman was connected to the people he served. He knew their pain points and struggles. Apple trees were a direct response to the empathy he gathered as he invested in those he sought to serve. 
  4. He lived out my favorite definition of innovation from Richard Lyons, "Fresh ideas that create value." He took nurseries, built them up to serve pioneer communities and in the process built a business model to sustain himself and the communities he served. 
  5. Chapman was known for his kindness to animals. He understood them and that understanding allowed him to be more effective in his work. He is a great example of someone who understands their environment and the forces that might impact the new idea being brought to life.
If you haven't watched the Disney cartoon, I would encourage you to watch it. Enjoy the fictional telling of this amazing man's life and consider what you can learn from him about being a generous mind and innovating in your work. 

 

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