“I have come to think that one of the most revealing signs of a young man's capacity is the use he makes of his vacations...”

- David Ogilvy

Here’s one of the most popular tools we teach at Stanford. A simple, structured way to “think outside the box” and court the muse when you feel stuck on a problem.

John Cleese argues convincingly that, while we can’t guarantee that creativity will yield to our invitations, yet blocking time and space for it to emerge is essential.

The evidence is clear: back-to-back meetings strain our brains! One innovation leader gives “corporate athletes” a simple rule to make sure they show up ready to sprint.

Ever wonder where Amazon’s famous flywheel-spinning organizational innovation, the “two pizza team,” came from? Hint: it didn’t come from a brainstorm…

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.

For breakthroughs to happen, we need to make new connections. These connections aren’t just the function of new input, though; we’ve got to create space to realize them, too.

We crave innovation that’s buttoned up nice and neat. But the creative process rarely is. It is “non-linear.” But we often eliminate the variability which drives unexpected outcomes.

This guest post comes from Ozan Varol, one of my favorite rocket scientists. It’s excerpted from his new book, “Awaken Your Genius,” which is sure to be on my year-end best books list!

David Ogilvy attributed difficulties with original thinking to what he dubbed “the tyranny of reason.” Here are a few superrational escape techniques...

Bossy Cosmetics Founder and CEO Aishetu Dozie shares an insight with profound implications for finding purpose in work.

“Smarter is better.” It’s hard to imagine a more sound premise. And yet, that’s not what the data suggest, nor what the history of innovation teaches. What we really need is permission to deviate from the smart approach.

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

Mind wandering often connotes neglect. 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.

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.

When all of our time is spoken for, we short-change the longer-duration gestation required to form insights and think creatively. Bezos’ trick? He schedules unscheduled time.

Steve Jobs said, “Creativity is just connecting things.” But to connect, you’ve got to disconnect, too. A growing body of research demonstrates the benefits of literally “looking at nothing.”

Tina Fey reveals the technique she learned from Lorne Michaels the moment she needed it most: when deciding to she’d play Sarah Palin on SNL.

David Ogilvy said, “The majority of business men are incapable of original thinking because they are unable to escape the tyranny of reason.” Sound impossible? Here’s how to do it.

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most celebrated architects of the twentieth century. I was delighted to discover two routine habits that contributed to his breakthrough thinking.