When Did Being Disruptive Become a Good Thing?

When I was in grade school, being disruptive earned you a trip to the Principal's office. Today, being disruptive (with a new technology or other innovation) may earn you the attention of venture capitalists. A disruptive technology or innovation improves a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically by lowering price or designing for a different set of consumers. It changes the rules of the game. Think PC, then the iPhone.

What are you doing to be disruptive in your career or organization? Breaking out of the usual way of thinking and acting means taking a risk. It means moving out of your comfort zone. It can be a simple as reaching out to a colleague you have been avoiding to find common ground for collaboration. It may mean creating a Twitter account for your organization and increasing the transparency of your operations. It may mean developing a whole new approach to serving your clients. Large or small, if it leads to positive change and better results, being disruptive can be a good thing.