To innovate you must free brain space

Consider this:  little brain space remains to innovate and create new-to-the-world products, processes, and services when one's brain is embroiled in self-protection and dismissing or destroying others.

In an era of intensity, anger, inability to admit guilt, and willingness to destroy the reputation of others, we can consider a different manner of leadership.

• Rather than "I know stuff," we could start with "I don't know."
• Rather than "I have to beat you or them at any cost," we could start with readiness to collaborate and lift others.
• Rather than manipulating data, publishing spin, misinformation, or repeating gossip, we could start with accuracy, authenticity, and transparency.

Let's not be naive. Any of these different starting points might mean we pay a personal price at the hands of people who want to work with subjective information, cooked books, or continuing opportunity to defame and demonize others. And yet,  while we might have to bear that cost, we would not have inflicted a higher price on others.

We could change the starting point. We could think longer term. We could hold to a vision laden with hope because we value integrity over imperiousness, respect over adulation, faithfulness over fury, creativity over cretinism, and culture over callousness.

Innovation grows within safe places to offer one's ideas, not on war-torn streets, not from shouting matches, and not from sullen silence.

Such is the stuff of Maestro-level leadership. We invite you to consider joining this journey. Click the link in the line above to get started.

-mark l vincent