“You can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that caused it.”
-Albert Einstein
Most will try to logic their way out of a challenge using the same thinking that led them there in the first place.
Top-tier problem-solvers shift their thinking.
According to McKinsey, companies focused on creative problem-solving grow revenue 2.2x faster than their peers. (McKinsey & Co., 2022)
Here’s how next-level leaders think differently:
1/ Flip the Problem
↳ Ask: “What would make this fail instantly?”
↳ Then avoid exactly that.
2/ Shrink the Choices
↳ Fewer options = more innovation.
↳ 3M’s sticky note only happened because they were stuck with weak glue.
3/ Tune Out the “Experts”
↳ 42% of market disruptors had zero experience in the field.
↳ Outsiders drive paradigm shifts.
4/ Let It Marinate
↳ REM sleep unlocks breakthroughs.
↳ Well-rested brains produce 60% more creative ideas.
5/ Challenge Legacy Thinking
↳ “We’ve always done it this way” isn’t a strategy—it’s a trap.
↳ Sacred cows make the best burgers.
6/ Ask Basic Questions
↳ Like “Why?”
↳ Simplicity slices through complexity.
7/ Deconstruct the Win
↳ Study the outcome, not the method.
↳ Start with what worked—and reverse it.
8/ Mix Fields, Not Just Ideas
↳ Cross-pollinate from unexpected places.
↳ Jobs fused calligraphy + tech = Apple’s design legacy.
9/ Redefine Failure
↳ It’s feedback, not final.
↳ Dyson went through 5,127 iterations to get it right.
10/ Break the Mold
↳ Rules often protect old models.
↳ When the playbook stalls—rewrite it.
Kenrick Vaz 