The Most Valuable Skill In Difficult Times Is Lateral Thinking—Here’s How To Do It

A transitional object is someone or something with certain characteristics or qualities you can use as inspiration for new ideas.

For example, "What would Bruce Lee do?" He taught the importance of using the energy of your attacker. How might this inform your strategy?

To challenge traditional thinking, ask, "what's the one thing we absolutely should not do in this situation?" and then consider it as an advisable course of action.

When innovating, it can be easier to go way out and wind back than to try solving problems by repeatedly starting from a conservative point.

Most strategies and tactics involve doing more things in ever-shorter time. It reduces the impact while burning people out.

To stimulate new thinking, ask, "what would happen if we stopped doing the following?" It will challenge your organization's received wisdom about resource deployment, which could be beneficial.

All narratives are about a very small number of basic plots, namely: Quest, voyage and return, rebirth, comedy, tragedy, overcoming the monster, rags to riches. And they apply to more than just fiction writers.

Consider which plot currently underpins your business and rewrite the future. Many leaders unconsciously follow a "tragedy" plot in times of crisis, but reframing your struggles as "voyage and return," you may experience a strategic shift that an exercise in lateral thinking helps you to achieve.