Our Mansion House event together with current coverage of discussions in the USA,
reminded me of my days as a camp counsellor in America.  'We're the men of Abe'
we used to sing, 'And our spirit is free', in homage to the great Abraham Lincoln.  For it 
was Lincoln who once said:  "These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in 
concert to fleece the people, and now that they have got into a quarrel with themselves, 
we are called upon to appropriate the people's money to settle the quarrel."   

Abraham Lincoln, Speech to Illinois legislature, Jan. 1837.  
(Vol. 1, p. 24 of Lincoln's Complete Works, ed. by Nicolay and Hay, 1905)

Innovation is difficult to define - it perhaps even defies definition. We may be better off not even trying to. Can innovation be taught? Short answer, no. Can wisdom be bought? DITTO.

Courses in innovation are being created without any focus on the human being. Today’s innovation bandwagon focuses on philosophy, methodology, tools and what not. I ask a simple question. “Do you not need something more than education and training to be a musician”. Basically, can anybody become a musician or does s/he have to be one in the first place? If I simply teach musical notation after which you practice strumming for 6 hours a day, can you become a guitarist OR do you have to be a musician before I brush you up?

Are there some intrinsic traits or talents or experiences that are prerequisites for innovation?

Think about it!!!