Genghis Khan was born into a world of fractious and warring tribes, a world where resources were scant and people made their living by both seeking to raise their own animals and take those of the others by force. Raiding for both livestock and wives was common, and if any one tribe should ever become too big, their Chinese neighbors would convince the other tribes to rise up and attack them, bringing them down. How did Genghis Khan manage to unite all of these warring tribes into one, coherent force with which he was able to take over the world?

The first innovation that he engendered was to devalue the network of family and relatives that all Mongols depended upon, and instead promote men of merit to positions of trust. This meant that his household and guard were composed not just of those he could trace a connection to, but of allies and friends he had fought alongside and could trust. He turned the operation of his household into a model for how he would run his armies, showing everybody that those who served him well would be rewarded, regardless if they were of his blood.

His second innovation was to capture his enemies and then adopt them into his clan instead of ignoring them and making off with their goods. When one tribe raided the other the victims would often flee while the raiders fell upon their goods, so that when they returned they would nurse their desire for vengeance until they could fall upon the raiders, creating an endless cycle of attrition. Instead, Genghis Khan would leave the loot alone and instead encircle the fleeing men, capturing them all and killing their leaders then adopting one of their children into his personal family, demonstrating that they were now of his tribe. This would result in the increase of his tribe, such that men became loyal to him and were willing to follow him wherever he might lead.

Genghis Khan was able to conquer most of the known world not because he was a great and bloodthirsty warrior, but because he was an innovator of the first order.