‘Courage is the first of the human qualities, because it is the one that guarantees all others,” said the Greek philosopher Aristotle. And it’s true, especially when it comes to creativity and innovation. Without courage, no creativity; without courage, no action; without courage, no innovation.

Leaders today are overwhelmed with too little time and too much to accomplish in any given day…There is little to no time allotted for real thinking, brainstorming or experimentation without judgment. With so much pressure to produce quick results in the current economic environment, it may seem like a luxury to walk away from the mountain of tasks to be accomplished.

Given the pace of change, organizations rise and fall faster than ever before; witness Blockbuster, Nokia and Motorola…So how does an organization survive in such tumultuous times? The same way humans have survived throughout history.

People are more creative, productive, committed, and collegial in their jobs when they have positive inner work lives. …A sense of purpose in the work, and consistent action to reinforce it, has to come from the top.

To Be Innovative and as Successful as Possible, You Need Input From Outsiders

The key to effectiveness in the ideation phase … is to employ a variety of ideation techniques to stimulate new, different ways of thinking. Such techniques are proven to help groups expand their thinking and generate a greater number of fresh, unexpected ideas.