Ever struggled to come up with new ideas? So did I. When I was younger, I admired others for their creativity, and was better at building on their thoughts and making things happen. I never saw myself as creative.

These days others think of me as generating fresh, strategic ideas. And I’ve come to realize that all innovation builds on existing ideas in some way.

Fire has to be sparked from somewhere.

Everyone can develop valuable, strategic ideas. If you’d like to impress others with some fresh thinking, read on. Here are 3 tips I’ve learned from working with innovative business leaders over the years.

3 tips to ignite fresh, strategic ideas

  1. Ask better questions eg broad open ended ones. You can learn structured problem solving. (Email me back if you’re interested in an express one-hour module).
  2. Take a step back and look at connections between things. The broader ecosystem.  This ignites many ideas for me.
  3. Surround yourself with eclectic sources of inspiration – niche newsletters, YouTubes, and podcasts are my go-to.  Here’s one quirky source….

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Where you can use strategic ideas

You can use your strategic ideas everywhere. Here are some examples where I find my ideas keep flowing…

  • For my clients trying to solve difficult challenges in tough environments (thank you to McKinsey, my time working there taught me problem solving techniques and asking better questions).
  • For Turbocharge Weekly emails and LinkedIn – I have tons of ideas and love writing.
  • For our members in the Turbocharge Hub – in our monthly group coaching discussions, we generate lots of ideas. What peer roundtable or forum do you have for generating and getting input on your ideas?

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A discussion with Global Strategy Mavericks – are you in?

Don’t miss this one-off discussion with global strategy experts.   Featuring Will Bachman, Rob McLean AM, Alex MH Smith, chaired by Lisa Carlin. Sponsored by Women on Boards. This free Zoom is on Thursday, July 25, 2024, 10am GMT London, 5am EST in New York, 7pm AEST in Sydney.

Click here to secure your spot. If the time doesn’t suit you, register anyway and you’ll receive the video recording. Then click here and repost the event to be share ideas with your LinkedIn network.

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Quote of the week

“You”ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.”

Dr Seuss

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Keep turbocharging with a culture-friendly approach 😊🌱📈

PS Turbocharge your strategic influence 😊🌱📈

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About Lisa Carlin

Lisa Carlin is a Strategy Execution Specialist.  She works with business leaders to plan and execute their strategies in tough environments.  Her clients love having her expertise and guidance to navigate their workplace culture and use AI to achieve success.

Lisa created The Turbochargers Hub, so leaders can master the art of strategic influence and generate momentum for organizational change.

Lisa is author of the globally acclaimed newsletter, Turbocharge Weekly, read by 8,000 business leaders.

Lisa’s career includes roles at McKinsey and Accenture, then running her own business since 1999.  Over this time she has delivered over 50 implementations with a 96% success rate.

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