We’ve all heard the stories. Archimedes getting his idea in the bath. Newton getting an apple on his head and suddenly understanding gravity. Or the artist saying that inspiration just “came to him”. It sounds like creativity is something mysterious, something that just happens randomly when the brain suddenly connects […]
Yearly Archives: 2025
121 posts
In a world where every decision has ever-increasing consequences, it is becoming clear that we need to change our perspective. For most of the industrial era, we have thought in terms of ego systems thinking. This means that we base our decisions on our own system, our own business, our […]
Biodiversity is like a fabric. Every species, every small part of the ecosystem is a thread. When we pull on one of the threads, the entire pattern changes, sometimes in ways we never expected. Human impact on nature often creates chain reactions that at first seem insignificant, but which in […]
Photosynthesis is the engine of life. By capturing the sun’s energy and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and biomass, plants create the foundation on which all other life rests. Without photosynthesis, there would be no food chain, no ecosystems, and no human civilization. But today we can see the opposite […]
When we talk about systems innovation, many people think of the transition to a circular economy, digitalization or new business models that are changing entire industries. But all of these pale in comparison to the system we already live in. The biological ecosystem is the largest and most complex system […]
The concept of flow, coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, describes the state in which we are completely immersed in a task, where challenge and ability are in perfect balance. In flow, we experience energy, focus and satisfaction. But what happens to this state in a world where AI is quickly becoming […]
When we talk about development in companies, the concepts of innovation and creativity are often mixed up. Innovation is basically about creating something new that is also realized and has an effect in the world. It can be a new product, a new process or a completely new way of […]
How we start a creative process has a decisive impact on the outcome. If we start cautiously, demanding “realistic” solutions, we limit ourselves early on and risk getting stuck in what we already know. However, if we start by really taking the plunge, setting a standard for imagination and inspiration, […]
We humans love convenience. When the brain finds a conceivable “highway,” a thought pattern that works, it tends to continue back and forth along that path day after day. It feels safe, secure, and requires minimal effort. But it’s also what often makes us miss alternative routes, small paths that […]
Innovation is often portrayed as a question of ideas. If we just get the right idea, success will come. But the likelihood of success with innovation is more about courage, resources and ambition than about individual ideas. In fact, it is precisely the combination of these factors that determines the […]
Most of us know the feeling. We’re sitting there with an important task, maybe even something we’ve been dying to do, but we’re still hesitant to start. Instead of getting down to it, we fill our time with small things. We often interpret it as weakness, lack of discipline, or […]
I remember the first time I asked an AI to explain Einstein’s theory of relativity as if I were ten years old. In a few seconds, I received an explanation that I never forgot, explained with simple images that immediately stuck with me. Previously, I would have needed an entire […]
We live in a time of increasing complexity in almost every area. From global sustainability challenges to everyday work tasks, we face questions that demand both faster and deeper answers. In the midst of this chaos, mental frameworks, or models, offer a structure that helps us understand the world a […]
Mariana Mazzucato has become one of the most influential voices in innovation policy in recent years. Her work has shown that innovation is not just a technical issue, but also a social and political one. Through her book Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism and through her advice […]
When remote work became widespread, a common objection from managers was that creativity would be lost. The argument was that ideas are born when we meet physically, that it is in the corridors and at the coffee machine that the magic happens. But behind this statement, another question often hides: […]
I remember my grandmother’s old pendulum clock on the wall. It ticked slowly and steadily, the pendulum swinging back and forth. When I sat there and waited, time could feel endless. Sometimes it felt safe, sometimes unbearably slow. But no matter what I thought, the pendulum kept moving. Today I […]
In many areas of life, responsibility is something obvious and tangible. We take responsibility for the completion of the projects we run, for the well-being of the family, for the payment of the bills and for the functioning of relationships. This responsibility is often linked to direct consequences. If we […]
Many people ask themselves if they are truly creative. Sometimes this feeling appears at work, when ideas don’t really want to come. Other times, you may feel full of inspiration and creativity in a completely different context, such as cooking, gardening or within a non-profit organization. What often explains this […]
Mind mapping is a technique that many creative people are naturally drawn to. The visual appeal, the freedom to move between ideas, and the feeling of building something rather than reading or writing linearly, make it both intuitive and powerful. But it’s not just those considered “creative” who can benefit […]
SCAMPER is a method for systematic idea generation that helps individuals and groups think in new ways about an existing product, service, process or idea. The method is based on asking seven types of questions, each of which is based on a specific verb: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to […]
IDEO has been a global leader in innovation and design for decades. Their work ranges from product development to societal change, from small design solutions to complex system innovation. Regardless of the field, IDEO always starts with people. There is a lot to learn here for anyone who wants to […]
In most organizations, meetings are the most common way to address issues. People gather in a room or digitally, an agenda is set, and then we hope that the discussions will lead to decisions, insights or forward movement. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. The difference between a meeting and […]
When AI meets the creative professions, a polarized debate often arises. On one side are those who work with AI and believe that the technology can demonstrably replace certain creative functions. On the other side are people in creative professions who claim that AI will never be able to be […]
Coming up with new product ideas requires more than just inspiration. It requires structure, methodology and a way of working that both encourages and collects creativity. Many workshops result in a number of post-it notes with more or less well-thought-out ideas that then fall into oblivion. The process described here […]
Most people have heard the expression that it is easy to come up with ideas, but hard to implement them. It sounds logical. Implementation requires time, resources, coordination and perseverance. Ideas, on the other hand, seem to come and go. But what if we turn the expression around? What if […]
Making a choice is not an isolated action. It is always a decision in relation to something else. We cannot say that something is “close”, “better” or “worth it” without first understanding what it is close, better than or worth in comparison to. Our choices are formed in this invisible […]
At a time when AI chats are becoming an increasingly integral part of both everyday life and working life, a new form of digital competence has emerged: the art of asking good questions. It is not the one who knows most about AI who gets the best results, but the […]
Creativity is often seen as a luxury in business. Something you do when everything is going well, when there are margins, or as a desperate solution when everything is going wrong. It is rarely considered a management tool in everyday life. Yet creativity is one of the most powerful resources […]
In many organizations, sales are the dominant pulse. Everything from daily conversations to management meetings is characterized by the question: How are sales? It not only influences strategic decisions but often sets the mood for the entire company. A strong month brings relief and pride, a weak month creates anxiety […]
Intrinsic motivation is a force that is often underestimated in both leadership and organizational development. It is about being driven by joy, curiosity and satisfaction in the task itself, rather than by external rewards such as money, status or assessment. This inner glow is also one of the most powerful […]