With the Fourth of July holiday just behind us, after we have eaten the hotdogs, indulged in the apple pie and vanilla ice cream and oohed and aahed over the fireworks (or drone display in some places), let’s stop and reflect a little on the actual purpose behind the holiday. We celebrate the fourth as Independence Day, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed by the 13 colonies. The Declaration was drafted principally by Thomas Jefferson, who would become the third U.S. president in 1801. 

I have toured Jefferson’s home Monticello several times. What always struck me about Jefferson was his inventiveness. This to me is a mark of a strong leader, someone who thinks creatively or finds a way around a barrier to make improvements for everyone. The Monticello website describes Jefferson as more of an innovator than an inventor because he often improved on existing concepts rather than creating something from scratch.

At IPS, we too are innovators. Each day we look for ways to find opportunities for improvement. We know that what worked yesterday may not work well today because laws and policies change along with people, technology, culture and so on. Sometimes the innovation benefits us, and sometimes it benefits our customers. Either way, we are growing and improving, and this is how we lead.