Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro
Don’t ask for great ideas only when brainstorming solutions to challenging problems… When brainstorming, we typically ask people to give us their best ideas. But what if the path to finding great ideas is to intentionally find start with terrible
You can create an environment where everyone can contribute to your company’s innovation efforts… How do you structure your innovation teams? If you are like most companies, you put your most creative people in a room to develop ideas who
Most of the work you do is not important and in fact slows you down… My first real job was working for a large computer manufacturer in their production control department. After two months there, the department head called me
All the skills that make a magician great also apply to ambitious entrepreneurs. Do you have what it takes? I’ve always loved magic. For me, it went beyond entertainment; it was an intellectual endeavor. I enjoyed trying to figure out
The questions you ask may not be helping you learn anything new… Imagine this scenario: A woman walks into a hardware store. She can buy 6 for $6, 12 for $12, or 24 for $12. What is she buying? I’ve
Just because your personality test seems accurate, doesn’t mean it is…. Many years back, while working with a client, I was asked to take a written personality test that was required for all executives in the company. Eight senior leaders
Contrary to conventional wisdom, opposites don’t attract–and this is bad for innovation…. I remember speaking with a recruiter who once turned down a candidate I had recommended. I asked why and was told, “He didn’t fit the mold.” In other
To gather real insights, you want stories, not surveys… Many years ago, I gave a 90-minute speech to 400 non-military researchers at the US Air Force. These scientists create planes and weapons for our military. The first 45 minutes of
What worked for your company in the past may be the wrong strategy for the long term… Many advertisements for investment opportunities warn that past success is no guarantee of future results. The reality is much worse than that. Past
“Yeah, but.” That’s the enemy of innovation. Right? We’ve all been told that we need to stop uttering those words and replace them with “Yes, and.” But what if “yeah, but” is not the problem. What if there is something
You attend conferences. You read books. You take training classes. All with the goal of learning strategies from those who have paved the path to success before you. But what if following in their steps could lead you down the
If you visit this blog often, you will have noticed that I slowed my writing down a bit over the last month. That is because I just launched my new Inc.com column on innovation. If you want to read the
In my last post of the year, I shared my process for planning the new year. In summary, instead of resolutions, I set themes. Themes are not goals to achieve. Rather they are words that help guide and shape the
How do you spend the first week of the New Year? For many, it is back to the grind stone, picking up where you left off in 2017. The new year becomes an extrapolation of the past year. My intention
2018 is around the corner. Time to make some changes in your life. Right? Ready to set some resolutions? Before you do, did you know that only 8% of people are always successful in achieving the desired results. 92% fail!
I was recently interviewed by Erika Andersen for her Proteus Leader Show. She’s an amazing interviewer who gets right to the heart of the matter quickly. As a result, we covered a lot of territory in a little more than
10 years ago I write Goal-Free Living. The book as impacted more lives than any book I’ve written. But at the same time, it has remained relatively obscure in the scheme of things. When it was published, someone told me
I am pleased to announce that this blog was recently selected as the #1 blog for articles on Innovation Talent by the innovation software company, Swarm Vision. Getting the right people in the right roles is a critical part of
As many of you know, I have been involved with an incredible movement called Girl Starter. The goal is to empower young women to launch their own businesses by giving them the tools and support they need to be successful.
I’ve been on some cool podcasts lately, and here’s another. This time I was with Andy Paul, a sales guru. Nice guy. We had a great conversation about the relationship between sales and innovation. Listen to it here KEY TAKEAWAYS
I was recently interviewed by the amazing Ian Altman. When it comes to growing businesses, this guy rocks! His podcast is called “Grow My Revenue Business Cast.” Here’s the copy from his his site about our episode: My guest today
I recently met Dr. Diane Hamilton at a conference. We started talking and I discovered that in addition to being a wonderful human being, she’s the host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show. She’s had some amazing guests, including
The other day I decided to check “broken links” on my website. Basically these are links from my site to other sites. In most cases, these were articles I referenced, books I promoted, or interesting people I highlighted. Since 2006,
Owning your own business is not for everyone. There are ups and downs. Joys and heartaches. Wins and losses. Ebbs and flows of income. There have been moments when I was unsure when the next paycheck would arrive (it’s happened
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