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Written by Judith E. Glaser

We raise our Innovation Quotient by thinking new thoughts daily

Beyond Left or Right...

The more we learn about how brain grows, adapts, changes and—on the other extreme—falls into patterns of ‘stuck’ thinking, the more we see that a leader’s most important job is creating environments for innovation to flourish.

 Enhancing interaction during brainstorming sessions enables us to tap into our hardwired DNA and leverage the enormous capacity and deft flexibility of our brains to enhance innovation.

Thinking the same thoughts repeatedly lulls us into a sense of comfort. We think we know the “correct” answer, which reinforces feelings of intelligence and good judgment. We may not even realize we are in a repetitive loop, or are experiencing status quo thinking. Instead, we feel good that we got it right. Wise leaders raise their innovation quotient by challenging old innovation mythologies.

One of the oldest mythologies that blocks creativity is that innovation is a right brain activity only. In reality, we need to use our whole brain to be creative. Real innovation requires the use of strong analytical skills as well as creative skills. Without using both sides of our brain we undermine our ability to innovate.

By exercising both left and right brain, we can then boost our Innovation IQ, harness the power of our brains, and shape the emergence of great leaders.

Neuro-tip: To be more innovative we also need to learn to prime our brains to generate unsuppressed ideas, and give equal attention to divergence and convergence.

(Neuro-tip: Rex Jung, PhD.) (Illustrations by Peter Cutler)