One leadership principle I’ve learned to value – Brainstorm first. Tweak later.
When you’re trying to solve a problem or create something new, get ALL the ideas on the table first – even the bad ones.
There will be plenty of time later to explain why something won’t work.
Too often, though, we start evaluating ideas while they’re still being formed.
“That’s too expensive.”
“We’ve tried that before.”
“We don’t have enough people.”
“That’ll never work here.”
And before long, the room stops creating and starts protecting.
Good brainstorming requires a little freedom.
Let people throw ideas out without immediately defending them. Let one idea lead to another. Let something sound unrealistic for a few minutes.
Ideas need a chance to breathe, live, and prove themselves.
Then you can tweak.
Then you can evaluate.
Then you can ask the hard questions.
Not every idea will survive – and it shouldn’t.
But sometimes the idea that initially sounds impossible becomes the idea that changes everything.
So, Brainstorm first. Tweak later.
