Is there a formula for innovation? Yes! And the most successful individuals, teams, and organizations rely on it to achieve their goals.

Innovation psychologist, bestselling author, and Founder of the leading innovation firm in Australia, Inventium, Amantha Imber has worked with organizations like Google, Disney, LEGO, and Virgin. In her book, The Innovation Formula: The 14 Science-backed Keys for Creating a Culture Where Innovation Thrives, she distills the science behind game-changing innovation and offers concrete examples of what leaders can do to cultivate it in their teams.

In this interview, we talk about:  

What it means to democratize innovation in our organizations

Innovation as change that adds value

What happens when we assign projects for challenge vs capacity

The Imagination Breakthroughs Project at GE

The diminishing returns of cash rewards for performance

Why leaders are trading cash for time to support innovation

Guarding against groupthink in long-standing teams

The value in walking in stupid for doing innovative work

The kind of leadership that sets the most innovative organizations apart

Why leaders should do innovative work rather than delegate it

How the Kickbox project helps companies like Adobe spark innovation

Why blue-sky brainstorming is a lazy way to innovate

Innovative ways Engineers without Borders and Tata Group learn from failure

The power of assuming abundance by sharing generously

Why we need a certain level of noise to do creative work

Hack-in-a-box to support student innovation and entrepreneurship

Episode Links

@amantha

http://www.inventium.com.au/

Jeff Immelt of GE

Imagination Breakthroughs at GE

Wieden + Kennedy Advertising

Originals by Adam Grant

Adobe Kickbox project

Tata Group

Engineers without Borders

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