The Secret of Top Innovation Leaders: They Think Like Philosophers
The Philosophy of Innovation Journal: 210 questions for innovation leaders who want breakthrough thinking, not just methods. Early access available.
After three decades of leading innovation—from my time as Chief Technology Officer at HP to my current role as CEO of CableLabs—I've identified a critical gap in how organizations approach breakthrough thinking. While most leadership development focuses on design thinking methodologies and lean startup frameworks, the business leaders who consistently create transformative innovations operate from something different: philosophical thinking about innovation itself.
What is The Philosophy of Innovation Journal?
This daily innovation journal emerged from two years of development and testing with strategic thinkers worldwide. This isn't another how-to guide for innovation methods. It's a structured journaling practice that builds the intellectual foundation every serious innovator needs.
The Philosophy of Innovation Journal contains 30 interconnected themes with carefully crafted journaling prompts designed as 210 questions to transform how executives approach creative leadership and strategic problem-solving. Rather than providing frameworks to memorize, these guided questions develop critical thinking skills that enable breakthrough innovation across any industry or challenge.
Why Philosophy Matters for Strategic Thinkers
Traditional creativity training teaches techniques—design thinking workshops, agile development processes, creative problem-solving methods. These tools are valuable, but they're built on assumptions that most executives never examine: assumptions about creativity, risk, timing, and the fundamental nature of innovative work.
This philosophy-based approach is transforming how leaders solve complex problems by exploring essential questions every business leader should consider through structured journaling:
- What unconscious fears shape which creative risks you're willing to take?
- How do your past experiences influence what you consider possible to create?
- When does building on tradition become genuine innovation versus merely extending existing solutions?
- What responsibilities come with the power to create new business realities?
- How do breakthrough insights actually emerge in consciousness?
The Complete Innovation Leadership Development Journey
The journal contains 210 questions across 30 interconnected themes organized into seven key areas:
Foundation (Themes 1-5): Examine your personal relationship with breakthrough thinking, exploring experiences, beliefs, and purpose that shape creative work.
Understanding Innovation's Nature (Themes 6-9): Explore fundamental paradoxes—how breakthrough thinking builds on the past while transcending it, manifests across different domains, and relates to timing and surprise.
The Mind and Innovation (Themes 10-13): Investigate the psychology of creative insights, examining what happens in consciousness when breakthrough moments emerge.
Innovation in Relationship (Themes 14-17): Understand creative work's social dimensions—how transformative ideas emerge from connections with others, language, and organizational culture.
Deeper Philosophical Questions (Themes 18-21): Grapple with breakthrough thinking's relationship to reality, beauty, motivation, and business value.
Wisdom and Responsibility (Themes 22-25): Integrate creative thinking with broader leadership wisdom, examining responsibilities as creators and technological innovation's unique characteristics.
Integration and Future (Themes 26-30): Synthesize insights into your personal innovation philosophy, connecting understanding to practical application.
Early Access for Business Leaders
The Philosophy of Innovation Journal is approximately 90% complete. I'm offering early access to a substantial sample through my Substack newsletter, Studio Notes. The sample includes three complete themes—enough content for genuine philosophical engagement and insight generation.
This early access opportunity is designed for strategic thinkers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and executives who recognize that sustainable breakthrough thinking requires more than just the right tools. It demands clear reasoning about innovation's fundamental nature.
Your feedback will directly influence the final book while contributing to a growing community of business leaders who need deeper thinking about innovation, not more tools.
