Innovation may not immediately conjure images of glass slippers and fairy godmothers, but there is a line from Cinderella that feels particularly fitting to describe this fall’s Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation (SMTI) course at the University of South Carolina (USC): “have courage and be kind.” This powerful quote from Cinderella’s mother proved to students that a little courage, generosity, and perhaps some serendipity, can be remarkably powerful.
Part of the SC Innovates® SmartState® Center at USC’s Darla Moore School of Business, MGMT 733 challenges students to understand innovation strategy, and more importantly, how to apply it to the messy and unpredictable real world. This semester’s students certainly understood unpredictable after a series of unplanned events impacted their dynamic with one another in ways no one expected, even Professor Laura B. Cardinal, otherwise known as “Prof. C” by her students.
This semester’s students were made up of more than 60 percent of long-distance travelers who attended class in Columbia from areas like Atlanta, and another from even as far as Ohio. Hanna Poage returned to complete her final SIC course and Professional MBA class after taking a year off to get married. She decided finishing what she started was worth the miles of travel.
The cohort itself was an eclectic mix of PMBA, Ph.D., engineering master’s and even undergraduate students. Grace Cosby brought an especially interdisciplinary perspective spanning philosophy, artificial intelligence (AI), law, and genetics (yes—all in one!) as part of a unique program at USC. Her path to SMTI began with a chance introduction to Prof. C at the Darla Moore School’s AI Summit in April. The serendipitous meeting was courtesy of a former joint SIC and PMBA student, Liz Shirkey, who now serves as Assistant Vice President for IT User Engagement & Experience at USC.
“Ah, yes,” recalls Cardinal. “Serendipity, meet strategy.”
That spirit of connection continued inside the classroom. For one assignment, students had to interview a scientist in R&D with a Ph.D., which required some fast and deep networking. Because they cannot interview someone from their own employer or academic area, classmates began generously opening their own networks to share contacts and make connections for one another.
The generosity did not stop there. Students went the extra mile beyond assignments—quite literally! When one student’s car broke down en-route to class from Charlotte, she had to Uber the remainder of the way to Columbia. But it did not require magically transformed mice, horses, and pumpkin carriages for her to get back home; only the generosity of a classmate willing to give her a ride.
“Just another example of the generosity that was displayed from this group,” smiled Cardinal. “Perhaps that is this semester’s most important lesson in innovation.”
Even an equipment failure seemed determined to join the plot. Forced into a smaller classroom one Saturday, everyone crowded around an oval table and somehow the closer quarters brought the cohort even more to life.
As Grace Cosby put it, “I love that there were more quips on Saturday! Our cohort is truly a gift.”
For this cohort, showing up was not just a figure of speech. They truly gave their assignments, and support for one another, their all.
“Creativity needs knowledge. Strategy needs courage. But great ideas also need people willing to share, collaborate, laugh, adapt, and, well…” Cardinal smiled and added, “I guess occasionally a ride home from a fellow student. But no fairy godmother required!”