In 100 Words or Less – Four Lessons From the Masters of Creativity and Innovation

We are all creative, but by the time we are three or four years old someone has knocked creativity out of us. Some people shut up the kids who start to tell stories. Kids dance in their cribs, but someone will insist they sit still. By the time the creative people are ten or twelve, they want to be like everyone else.   —Maya Angelou

Dr. Angelou really gets at the core of an issue!  Watch children at any location and they will find a way to make their environment work for them.  Like the four kids at play in the cardboard box above, children have a natural ability to create and innovate.  They have not been spoiled by years of conformity, blindly following established policies and procedures.  These masters of creativity and innovation teach us the following four lessons:

1. Experiment;
2. Try the unorthodox;
3. Work with what you have; and
4. Challenge the accepted.

We should learn from the masters.

Tagged as: change strategy, innovation, organizational productivity, strategic thinking

About the Author

Robert Tanner is the founder of the Management is a Journey Blog and Principal Consultant at Business Consulting Solutions LLC. He is a certified change management consultant, management mentor, trainer, and an Adjunct Professor of Management. Robert has a passion for helping managers and leaders fulfill their potential. Connect with Robert on Google+ and Twitter. To join the mailing list, subscribe here.