Issue 11: Innovative Thinking for Leaders
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
-Steve Jobs
Welcome to our eleventh edition!
In this week’s Skip-Level Strategies Newsletter, we're focusing on "Innovative Thinking for Leaders."
Innovation in leadership is about more than just new ideas; it’s about fostering a culture where creativity is encouraged and failure is seen as a stepping stone to success.
Leaders who think innovatively inspire their teams to push boundaries and achieve remarkable results.
This week’s strategy is about nurturing and applying an innovative mindset.
5-MINUTE STRATEGY
Borrow inspiration from unrelated fields to see old problems through a fresh lens..
1. Clearly identify the problem you're trying to solve.
▪️ Example: A local coffee shop is looking to reduce the time customers spend waiting in line.
2. Break the problem down to its basic components
▪️ Example: The coffee shop’s main issues are taking customer orders, taking payment, and the time it takes to prep the drink.
3. Find similar problems and solutions in different industries or unrelated areas.
▪️ Example: Considering fast-food drive-thrus, they are optimized for quick ordering, payment, and food delivery so this is a good start.
4. Modify the solutions you found to address your specific problem.
▪️ Example: Allow pre-order through an app and reorganize the coffee shop’s interior for more efficient drink preparation, inspired by drive-thru efficiencies.
5. Test the solution in a real-world setting and tweak as needed.
▪️ Example: The coffee shop pilots the new system with a group of regulars, gathers feedback to refine the app and the layout of the pickup area for a smooth process.
By looking at how a coffee shop can reduce wait times through strategies borrowed from fast-food drive-thrus, we've used the power of what's called analogical thinking. It demonstrates how innovative solutions can come from applying insights from across different industries to your own challenges.
Why this matters: Innovative thinking is crucial for leaders in the modern business world. It helps you to stay ahead of the curve, solve problems creatively, and lead your team to new heights of success.
Next week's preview
In our next newsletter, we will explore "Creating Your Leadership Legacy" – how to build a lasting impact through your leadership.
Stay creative,
Asia
Bridgewell LLC - Strategy and Leadership
