Our Common Core: Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid of failing.”

As was once said by Edwin Land, renowned scientist and inventor of the Polaroid camera.

I also believe that being creative requires one to stretch their wings and be adventurous and open-minded. If Leonardo Da Vinci weren't adventurous, he never would have climbed on scaffolding to paint the Sistine Chapel. If Robert Glen hadn’t been creative, he never would have created his Mustangs sculpture. And if Steve Jobs weren't open-minded, Apple would have remained a classic American dessert.

Core Value #4: Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded

At Zappos, we think it’s important for people and the company as a whole to be bold and daring. We want everyone to take risks and make mistakes, because if people aren’t making mistakes, then that means they’re not taking enough risks. We encourage people to make mistakes as long as they learn from them. We never want to become complacent and accept the status quo just because that’s the way things have always been done

Zapponians are told to always seek adventure and to explore new possibilities. Sometimes our sense of adventure and creativity causes us to be unconventional in our solutions (because we have the freedom to think outside the box), but that’s what allows us to rise above and stay ahead of the competition.

As in the examples above, Core Value #4 embodies so many traits. Let’s see if we can find who else carries this ethos from within!

Originally appeared in:

https://www.zappos.com/about/stories/core-values-four