The lessons
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19Know Which of the Three People You Are
Ask your team which category best describes your organization today.
18Audit Yourself for Idea-Killing, Daily
Notice your first reaction the next time someone brings you an unfinished idea.
17Ask the Tough Questions
Ask one question at your next meeting that everyone normally avoids.
16Watch for Competitors Outside Your Industry
List five companies outside your industry that touch the same customer problem.
15Hire People You Don't Like
Look at your leadership team and identify where the thinking is too homogeneous.
14Ask the Big What-Ifs
Run a 30-minute "what if?" session with no PowerPoint and no defending today's model.
13Live in Tomorrow, Not Today
Reserve a fixed portion of leadership time for issues beyond the current fiscal year.
12Do Something You've Never Done Before
Choose one skill this year in which you are a complete beginner.
11Chase the Dumbest Idea in the Room
Keep a list of ideas your team initially laughs at.
10Follow the 5,126-Prototype Rule
Identify one promising idea you abandoned too early.
09Fail Faster, Learn Faster
Shorten one project cycle so you can get evidence sooner.
08Kill Aggressive Indecision
List three decisions your organization has delayed for more than six months.
07Invest in Experiential Capital
Set aside a small budget specifically for experiments with uncertain payback.
06Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast
Write down one five-year transformation that could fundamentally alter your business.
05Treat Organizational Sclerosis as a Disease, Not a Metaphor
Time how long it actually took your last new idea to go from "suggested" to "shipped." If you don't know the number, that's your first symptom.
04Run a Regular Attitude Inventory
Once a quarter, ask your leadership team to list every "we can't because..." they've said out loud in the last month. Read the list back to them.
03Never Let a Committee Touch a New Idea
Look at the last new idea that went to a "committee" or "working group" in your organization. Is it still alive? Be honest.
02Hire a VP of Curiosity, Even If It's Just You
If you can't create the role, create the time: block a recurring "curiosity hour" on your own calendar, protected like any client meeting.
01Make Big Bets, Not Small Hedges
Pick one trend your organization has been "monitoring" for over a year without committing real budget to it. Make the bet this quarter.