Innovative Intelligence: The Art and Practice of Leading Sustainable Innovation in Your Organization

CHAPTER FOUR

ECLIPSE OF INNOVATIVE INTELLIGENCE

At times, leaders may experience interference that can block their ability to access their innovative intelligence. It is similar to an eclipse that occurs when one celestial body obscures all or part of another. In a total lunar eclipse, the moon still exists, even though it cannot be seen. Similarly, when a dynamic or an interfering intelligence obscures access to innovative intelligence, it still exists and is theoretically accessible.

In this chapter we describe three “eclipse” scenarios that can obscure a leader's access to his or her innovative intelligence. We also provide some suggestions to prevent this from occurring or to mitigate its impact.

ECLIPSE #1: THE SCHOOL SYSTEM MADE ME DO IT

Leaders may face obscured access to innovative intelligence as an unintended consequence of the school systems they experienced. For most, school systems focus on transferring skills and knowledge from teachers to students so that students can use that knowledge as they encounter current and future problems. Students learn a repeatable process of how to access their analytical intelligence. At best they also learn critical thinking, an evolution of analytical thinking that looks critically at the possible answers.

The characteristics of the process are as follows:

• Relies on past information and experiences
• Operates in a linear fashion
• Focuses on answers
• Does not like ambiguity and uncertainty
• Emphasizes speed
• Seldom questions the question ...