One critical reason folks in organizations aren’t imagining radical new applications of GenAI is, their imaginations aren’t stimulated. My recommendation might fly in the face of convention, but it’s been demonstrated highly effective in both this AI-moment and in times past.

Innovators ranging from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Jeff Bezos wielded down time as a deliberate strategy. For all our connectedness, being unplugged has never been more important.

Lin-Manuel Miranda shares a key insight from the process of writing Hamilton. His experience resonates with countless other innovators: make time to think.

Innovators ranging from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Jeff Bezos have made good use of down time. For all our connectedness, being unplugged has never been more important.

Lin-Manuel Miranda recently shared a key insight derived from the process of writing Hamilton: "Life is always going to present distractions. The best idea (the idea to make a musical of Hamilton) actually happened when we were on vacation -- on a pool float with a margarita in hand -- in a moment when your brain could kind of unplug from your day-to-day concerns…”

Steve Jobs was certainly a believer that “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” He and Bill Gates famously took ideas from Xerox PARC. Here’s one of my favorite examples in that lineage, of Jeff Bezos borrowing from Bill Gates to outstanding effect.

A survey of the recent history of corporate innovation reveals how consistently world-class talent is a key differentiator. From AT&T’s famed Bell Labs, to Xerox’s legendary PARC facility, to Lockheed Martin’s acclaimed Skunk Works shop, what set these units apart was their insistence on hiring the very best talent in their field. Every organization wants to hire the best talent, yet few take pains to ensure that their hiring process is delivers the best results.