How to Treat New Ideas

This Center for Creative Leadership® publication shows you the important steps you can take to become more self-aware and to treat new ideas and those who suggest them with the respect and consideration they deserve.

Ask any leader about innovation and you are likely to hear how critical it is to their organization. Innovation provides a way to stand out from competitors around the globe and to address ever-rising customer expectations for products, services, and experiences that are new, different, and make life easier. Despite what we say about innovation, how we act is often in direct contradiction to our words. Most of us are quick to see new ideas as a risk— lacking all the evidence and detail we need to make us feel comfortable. Rather than embracing new ideas and nurturing them along the way, we tend to discard them out of hand—sabotaging the very creativity we need to fuel innovation. The six tips described in this publication will inspire & equip any leader to become an innovation hero!

About the Authors

David Magellan Horth is a senior fellow and senior designer at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is an innovative designer, facilitator, and coach, specializing in the confluence of design, innovation, and leadership development. His fluency with the technical and administrative aspects of business, deep knowledge and practice of creativity processes, and his own creative and artistic flair combine to make David sought after as a unique keynote speaker, presenter, coach and workshop facilitator. David holds a B.Sc. degree from the University of Surrey in England.

Michael T. Mitchell serves as senior faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership and is responsible for a variety of open enrollment programs. For a diverse portfolio of custom clients, Mike is involved in early discovery, development, and program delivery. Additionally, he advises CCL's portfolio of clients on all aspects of innovation, including innovation leadership. Mike earned his PhD in organizational leadership from The Chicago School of Psychology and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.