Sometimes it takes conflict and tension — self-inflicted headaches — to spur innovation. Take Toyota. In the late 1980s, Ichiro Suzuki, its chief engineer, wanted to build a fast, light, fuel-efficient, comfortable, sleek, and inexpensive car that could compete with the luxury sedans of BMW and Mercedes. His goals weren't only lofty; they were contradictory, and seemed impossible to achieve. Car design, at that point, required a series of compromises between aesthetics and aerodynamics. If you were designing for speed, for example, you had to live with less fuel efficiency and more noise. But Suzuki refused to compromise. His team performed a complete design re-think, and after a series of headaches, the Toyota team engineered the first Lexus, which cost $30,000 less than its competitors. Sometimes, it turns out, you can have your cake, and eat it, too.
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