I like reading the obituaries in the New York Times occasionally. The writing is always good and it's interesting to see how a person's life can be summarized. A couple weeks ago Erich Windisch passed away at 89. He was a ski jumper. When you see a ski jumper soaring through the air with his or her arms glued to the side, it was Erich Windisch who started it. Before that, ski jumpers held their arms in front.
"It was during a tournament in his native Germany in 1949 that Windisch left his slightly arched arms pointing downward and — to the surprise of his competitors and hundreds of spectators — soared farther than all the other jumpers."

Erich Windisch wasn't the greatest ski jumper, or a brilliant physicist.

According to the Times, it was an injured shoulder that forced Windisch to hold his arms close to his torso. An accident.

While we make plans, set goals, plot, ponder and scheme our way toward success, it's important to remember that real innovation often comes from serendipity. Accidents, mistakes and all the wasted time we spend going in the wrong directions are just as important as mission statements and process flow charts. When things aren't going right we adapt. Innovation is successful adaptation.

Erich Windisch, rest in peace.