Three Little Big Ideas

(1) THE ALL-AT-ONCE TRAP

When tackling a big problem or seizing a juicy opportunity, we instinctively try to solve the challenge with one, gigantic, perfect idea. Problem is, those silver bullets can be elusive and we end up freezing or quitting when perfection fails to magically appear. Instead of the all-at-once approach, try discovering a handful of small ideas that may help the problem rather than solve it completely. Twenty-eight small, helpful, low-risk, easy-to-implement ideas that each contribute positive momentum is a far better outcome than quitting in frustration when the end-all-be-all solution never materializes.

Share to Twitter

(2) CHANGE THE INPUTS

In software engineering, they say you need to change the inputs in order to change the outputs. The same is true for our creativity. To get more creative, try guzzling the creative work of others on a daily basis. Spend a minute or two watching a musical performance on YouTube, staring at a piece of art, or reading a poem out loud. Read a provocative short story or watch a standup comedian test out a new bit. Try to counterbalance the constant barrage of negativity and worry by ingesting some creative brilliance. When you change the inputs, the outputs will improve.

Share to Twitter

(3) CREATIVE GARDENING

An award-winning garden comes to life with the right mix of adding and subtracting. Add fertilizer. Subtract weeds. Add sunlight and water. Subtract small animals that love munching on pretty flowers. To boost innovation, try thinking like a gardener. Add fresh perspectives. Subtract groupthink. Add new ideation techniques. Subtract fear and judgement. Add color and stimulation. Subtract beige wallpaper and bad fluorescent lighting. Just like a garden, your creativity will flourish or wilt based on the adds and subtracts.

Share to Twitter

Do you like this new format (three short ideas vs. one longer one)? Shoot me a quick note and let me know your thoughts: Josh@JoshLinkner.com. Thanks, and I hope you have a wildly creative week ahead!

Read More

New Thinking for the New Era of Business

Albert Einstein famously noted, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that we used when we created them.” In our post-COVID world of ...

When an Astronaut Needs a Pen

Ever get stuck on a problem, only to realize you're solving for the wrong thing? That's exactly what happened when the rocket scientists at NASA ...

How Shake Shack Drives Innovation

Do you prefer the crispy mozzarella, tempura watercress, and black garlic mayonnaise cheeseburger or the pumpkin mustard, bacon, cranberries, and sage hot dog? For something ...

Lady Gaga’s Secret to Creativity

Just before she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, I watched Lady Gaga dazzle the live audience with a pitch perfect performance of ...

Creativity: Does Size Matter?

For some reason, we’ve been taught that for creativity and innovation to count they need to have a magnitude the size of the 1989 San ...

The Lexicon of Creativity

There’s more confusion around the meaning of the word innovation than the chaos at the airline ticket counter after a cancelled flight. Is there a difference between ...

The Brain Science of Becoming More Creative

When we hear stories about iconic leaders like Salesforce.com’s founder Marc Benioff, or widely celebrated virtuosos like Lin-Manuel Miranda for that matter, we immediately think ...

Correct the Overcorrect

When the misguided leaders at Enron, Tyco and Worldcom committed fraud and marred their shareholders with huge losses, the Securities and Exchange Commission rightfully swooped ...

Learning to Color

Fact: Creativity has become the most needed skill in business. It’s gone from a nice-to-have to becoming mission-critical. Fact: Creativity is a learnable skill. All humans have ...