It's not every day the secretary of state creates a new position in her cabinet. So when Alec J. Ross became the first -- and so far only -- senior adviser of innovation to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, everyone knew it was something special.

It wasn't a total surprise, however; increasing numbers of people are using the Internet and mobile devices to connect, and the nation's diplomatic corps have long wanted to find a way to tap into that. Clinton was just the first to do so.  In a recent interview with the New York Times, Ross put it this way: "She's the godmother of 21st-century statecraft. The secretary is the one who unleashed [me]."

And since taking office, Ross has proved that Clinton's decision to "unleash" him was a good one. He is eloquent, knowledgeable, and forward-thinking. But his most important strength, at least for his current position, is finding creative, outside-the-box ways to use the social media so many millions have access to.

One of the ideas that Ross and his colleagues, especially his partner Jared Cohen, have been closely involved in is mobile banking. It's already proven successful in at least one country -- Kenya -- and Ross and his partner Jared Cohen are trying to expand its use in other regions of the world, such as Congo. The targeted problem: corruption in the government.

"As truckloads or planeloads of cash meant to pay policemen dwindled on their way from the capital cities to the provinces, so did the chances for lawful governance," wrote the New York Times. Ross and Cohen are trying to put a new system in place. This one would allow policemen to be paid via their phones and then transfer the payments to other family members' mobile devices. That way, their incomes would be safe from third-party interference.

But there are downsides to Ross' position, too, such as being the benchmark for any future innovation adviser. Ross and Cohen recently ruffled a few feathers on a trip to Syria, where their "breezy" tweets seemed to make light of the diplomatic mission. Secretary Clinton stood behind them, however, and the SNAFU soon blew over.

If he was ever in doubt, Ross now knows how much scrutiny he is under -- and how much his new position matters. In a recent interview with Joho, the Blog, he noted President Obama has "built a pretty strong ecosystem of innovators and internet-savvy people around him." Including Ross.