Steve Lohr pointed to Steve Jobs’ ability to take risks as key to Apple’s innovation, but as Malcolm Gladwell wrote last year, the greatest innovators and brands may not be risk-takers at all. Fast Company’s latest issue spotlighted today’s disruptors, including the founder and CEO of Dyson, who said it took a whopping 5,127 tries to prototype the new and now successful bagless vacuum. Jobs himself was a notorious perfectionist. All these observations underline the notion that the best leaders have a relentless thirst for knowing what their customers want, and delivering on it time and again. Deep, smart insights inform leaders and give a brand strength. And it’s easier than ever for brands to stay close to their customers; no cliff-jumping necessary.