Successful innovation is not a single breakthrough. It is not a sprint. It is not an event for the solo runner. Successful innovation is a team sport, it’s a relay race.

Source: "Color-Coded Surgery." TEDMED 2011. Oct. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from surgeon Quyen Nguyen's 2011 TED Talk on an important new surgical innovation: color-coded surgery. The quote means that in the field of medicine and in general, inventions and progress occur not because an individual person tries their hardest, but as a result of many people working together toward a single goal. Watch the full TED Talk here: Quyen Nguyen - Color-Coded Surgery

“Color-Coded Surgery.” TEDMED 2011. Oct. 2011. Conference Presentation.