Lorne Michaels, the most-nominated person in Emmy history, has accomplished something that very entertainers do: sustained creative excellence. His mantra for creative success not only surprises — it also helps.

To make empathetic engagements with end users as rich as possible, it’s essential to immerse in and observe the world of your user, and to do so regularly. Some tips from an outstanding innovation leader.

“Smarter is better.” It’s hard to imagine arguing with this premise. And yet, that’s not what the data suggest, and it’s not what the history of innovation teaches us, either. What we really need is permission to do the dumb stuff geniuses do.

Talking to others is the surest way to find a problem that matters. And if you find a a problem that matters, you’re well on your way to a desirable innovation.

NYU Prof Adam Alter asked Malcolm Gladwell, “If you were given a month to come up with an idea for a new story, and you had no constraints, what would you do?” I was blown away by the simple elegance of his answer.

As valuable as napping is as a tactic for courting breakthroughs, the nap itself is actually unnecessary: it’s the honest attempt at falling asleep that opens the floodgates.

Mind wandering is often a criticism or accusation. That’s a shame, because it’s essential to creativity: it enables the synthesis of unexpected connections, and the formulation of insights and fresh ideas.

Imposter syndrome can be crippling. One of the things I’ve wrestled with over the last dozen years is the question, “Who am I to be doing (xyz)? Don’t folks know I’m just… me?” Mo Willems experience offers a key.

If you’re experimenting broadly and entertaining trivialities like Elon Musk, then you’re going to fail a lot. A critical corollary to the recent pieces inspired by comedy is that you can’t take yourself too seriously.

It’s hard to overstate the value of a good old fashioned obsession. Apathy is the enemy of creativity. Obsession fuels innovation. Here’s a great story of obsession at Netflix.

Our limited definitions of relevance limit us to far fewer experiments than would be beneficial, within a much narrower range than is likely to reveal a meaningful difference-maker. Fantastic example from Ogilvy.

Most organizations’s first consideration of a novel concept is its technical specifications: can we build it? The most important question is not technical, but human. A better question is, “Should we build it?…”

It’s an enormous mistake to wait for lightning to strike. Seinfeld’s relentless approach to developing new material — and his mindset in so doing — gives him an incredible advantage in the creative process.

There are no shortcuts to breakthrough outcomes. Even legends like Jerry Seinfeld — after long success — have to endure the pain that accompanies the early experiments on the way to the next innovation.

One of the greatest challenges on the journey to creative mastery is that the “rules” of creative genius fly in the face of the normal, smart thing to do. Stories from Seinfeld and others encourage me to persist in the wrong direction.

When you perform a calendar audit, consider the collaboration layer. Ask these three questions to identify gaps in your portfolio of perspectives.

Very few teams see diversity as a lever they can pull to drive outcomes. “Team” is more of a fixed concept than a fluid one. The biggest opportunity is actually to deliberately dial up cognitive diversity.

Amidst the frenzied pace of life, it’s tempting to veg out whenever there’s a down moment. “Doomscrolling” is real! Instead of whittling away the hours, creative geniuses make good use of found time.

Why aren’t we more like Einstein? Here’s a powerful daily habit to short-circuit the Einstellung Effect, a cognitive bias that threatens the creativity of both experienced and novice innovators.

A critical priority in a productive, creative life is to make time to think, reflect, and synthesize. Here are a few examples of how spectacular innovators have carved out the necessary space.