(Not Just Doodle on Whiteboards)

Let’s kill the myth: Creativity isn’t just for artists, designers, or brainstorming retreats with sticky notes and snacks.

Creativity is a strategic edge.
And if you’re serious about solving real problems at work—faster, smarter, and with fewer roadblocks—you need to unlock it like your job depends on it.

Because here’s the truth:

You don’t rise through the ranks by being the person who follows the manual. You rise by being the one who finds solutions no one else sees.

Let’s break down how to do that with a method that works in the real world—not just in workshops.

Step 1: Define the Real Problem (Not Just the Symptoms)

Most teams try to solve the wrong thing.

They’re reacting to noise. To surface issues. To symptoms.

You want creative results? Ask deeper questions:

• What exactly is happening?
• What’s missing—not just what’s broken?
• If this were a wish instead of a problem, what would we want to happen?

Name the true root, not just the surface frustration. Otherwise, you’re designing solutions for smoke instead of fire.

Step 2: Gather Truth, Not Just Data

Before you solve anything, get clear on what’s real.

Ask:

• What do we know?
• What do we think we know?
• What assumptions are we operating under?

Get facts. Get perspectives. Get contradictions. Look at what’s already been tried—and why it didn’t work. Talk to people on the ground, not just decision-makers. Clarity kills confusion.

Step 3: Break the Pattern to Find New Possibilities

Now it’s time to stretch. Most solutions fail because we’re stuck in a box made of past experience, fear, and “how we’ve always done it.”

To break through:

• Brainstorm 20 terrible ideas before hunting for good ones. Quantity unlocks quality.
• Use a random word or object and ask, “How does this relate?” Weird connections spark genius.
• Ask: What would a kid do? What would our biggest competitor do? What would I do if no one could say no?

You’re not just solving a problem. You’re building creative range. And that range is what turns you into a next-level thinker.

Step 4: Step Back Before You Step Forward

Stuck? Step away. Creativity doesn’t always happen in the room. It happens while walking the dog, in the shower, during that “off” moment where your brain resets and replays.

Other prompts to unlock new angles:

• What would the boldest version of me do?
• What would we try if failure weren’t an option—or if we wanted to break something?

Then return, look at your ideas, and run them through a reality filter:

• Is this doable?
• Does this solve the real root?
• Does this improve the experience—for real humans?

Pick the strongest pathway—but don’t marry it. Stay agile.

Step 5: Turn Ideas Into Actual Moves

A good idea that lives in a Google Doc is useless. Creativity without action is just entertainment.

So now, convert:

• What’s the next smallest step we can take to test this?
• Who needs to be involved?
• What does success look like in the first 7 days?

Build momentum fast. You’re not creating the final draft—you’re building proof of concept, iteration speed, and a team that believes in trying new things without waiting for permission.

Creative Problem Solving = Leadership in Disguise

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about being quirky or “fun.” It’s about bringing unconventional intelligence to the table when everyone else is stuck in linear thinking.

When you’re the person who can zoom out, reframe, and find new doors when others only see walls, you become indispensable.

So next time something breaks, someone stalls, or you hit a ceiling—don’t just fix it.

Reinvent it. Reframe it. Redesign it.

That’s what creative problem solvers do.
And the ones who do it consistently?
They don’t just move the needle. They become the needle.