Innovative ideas are the lifeblood of any business. If you’re not doing things faster, better, or creating more value than your competition, you’re going to fall behind. It’s particularly important for African entrepreneurs as we work to compete on a global stage. Innovation creates growth opportunities and serves to separate the wheat from the chaff.

You can't keep doing the same old thing and expect your fortunes to shift. Thankfully, generating new ideas isn't as complicated as it appears to be. While we can’t all be Aliko Dangote, we can discipline our thinking to emulate his mindset. Innovation starts with a series of achievable steps that help to spark our creativity. If you commit to the process and practice it regularly, you may surprise yourself with the ideas you generate.