All posts by Susan Robertson

Successful organizations are exceptionally good at protecting what works. That is one reason they succeed. But there’s a trap hiding inside that strength: the systems built to protect today’s performance can quietly make tomorrow harder to create.

The future belongs to the leaders who make space for possibility — and signal to everyone around them that it’s safe, it’s welcome and it matters.

Visionary leaders understand that creative thinking doesn’t thrive in a culture obsessed with output. It requires white space. It requires permission. And most of all, it requires a culture that rewards curiosity as much as completion.

Ehy, as adults, don’t people exercise their inner child-like creativity more often? And what is it about the Easter egg party that allows them to so freely generate and express such range and diversity of ideas? There are several factors — all of which also apply to innovation.

Despite the energy and effort you and your team pour into trying to innovate, it often feels like there’s no real progress. It’s no one’s fault; it’s neuroscience.