Contributed by Scott Crawford of Virginia 811
“Reading will serve as the Magic Carpet to expand our field of vision and, in turn, fuel our imaginations and our ability to innovate!”
As we, in the words of Charles Dickens, recognize we are all but “fellow passengers to the grave,” collectively on a journey of life that, for all of us, has a definitive end, it is important that we all spend our time in a way that matters. Serving as the President & CEO of Virginia 811, I am fortunate and proud to be working along side so many worthy fellow passengers spending so much of their time protecting Virginia’s underground utility infrastructure and striving to prevent any passengers reaching a grave in an untimely manner!
Recently, by chance, I was looking through a digital version of a book with which I was not familiar. The book, The Use of Life, by Sir John Lubbock, published in 1894, provides the reader with a reflection on how we should best use the limited time in this world we are each provided. A quick review of the work reveals many hidden gems that are indirectly relevant to damage prevention, as well as business in general. One line struck me; as Lubbock notes, “One of the greatest talismans in the Arabian Nights is the Magic Carpet, on which if a man sat, he was transported wherever he wished to be. Railways do this now for all of us, and ‘as we increase the range of what we see, we increase the richness of what we can imagine.’”
This passage reinforces the need to take advantage of the diverse experiences we can find as we play the role of “passengers to the grave.” We must break free from “echo chambers” and the environments in which we find comfort and push ourselves to see the world in its many forms, engaging people with diverse backgrounds and visiting places new and foreign to us. By living life in this manner, our imaginations will be engaged and grow – innovation will thrive!
However, elsewhere, Lubbock reveals for us, inadvertently, a true “Magic Carpet” that is more metaphysical than the physical railroad. Lubbock relates how “when we read… we may transport ourselves to the mountains or the seashore, and visit the most beautiful parts of the earth, without fatigue, inconvenience, or expense.” Books, in essence, become a “Magic Carpet” as they take us to new places, allow us to meet new people, and, importantly, allow us to be exposed to new ideas. Not just travel, but also through books we can “increase the range of what we see” and, in turn, “increase the richness of what we can imagine.” And through imagination comes innovation, which drives continuous improvement, which is essential in the damage prevention industry and business in general as we apply new thinking to the many wicked problems we face.
The need to expand thinking in order to find innovation is a central point in The Innovator’s DNA by Jeff Dyer et al. Within the construct of innovative thought, the authors advance a key component related to association – the ability to associate diverse and unrelated ideas. As the authors note, “the more diverse our crossroads of experience, the more likely a serendipitous synthesis of the surprising will occur. Put simply, innovators intentionally maneuver themselves into the intersection, where diverse experiences flourish and foster the discovery of new insights.” Associating this with Lubbock’s observation, this “crossroads of experience” reinforces the ability to “increase the range of what we see,” thus our imaginations grow and innovation follows! Reading is a strong force to drive us to this magical crossroads.
Recently, I read a work related to Augmented Reality and business growth. The book, The Next Dimension by Tom Emrich, is a non-damage-prevention-related work on how Augmented and Extended Realities can enhance success in business. Even though entirely unrelated to my industry, through association and through “increasing the range” of what I could see, a new Augmented Reality application tied to public awareness and education related to damage prevention began to emerge. Working with the specialized ChatGPT model the author created to augment content found within the book, this app took on a life of its own. Fellow VACEOs member, Srini Alladi, Yotta Tech Ports (YTP), successfully bid for the contract to turn this app into a reality, as it will be launched in January 2026! This app, Underline Quest, was born from innovation directly tied to… reading!
As, in my industry, we strive to reach zero damages, and as all business leaders seek new cost-saving efficiencies, new products, and ways to better serve clients, innovation is central to all of these efforts. I cannot stress enough that all of us in business today, in a time of fast-paced and even, at times, miraculous change, must strive to find innovative solutions to the numerous challenges we face. And those who read — and I mean read anything from philosophy to history to leadership books to fiction and everything in between — will definitely find a level of exploration that will spark the innovation we need. Reading will serve as the Magic Carpet to expand our field of vision and, in turn, fuel our imaginations and our ability to innovate! Our mantra need not be “Rock on” – it must be “Read on!”
