Innovation, Unpacked.Practical, evidence-based insights for leaders.
There is no shortage of information on creativity and innovation, but it rarely reaches the leaders who need it. We close that gap.
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Opinionated, practical, and evidence-based takes on how creativity and innovation actually work.
Featured posts
Three Myths Convincing You That You're Not Innovative
Decades of research contradict three common beliefs about creativity: that it arrives as a flash of insight, that it belongs to a certain kind of person, and that it only counts when it is disruptive. This post unpacks what the evidence actually shows and what it means for how you see your own work and the work of the people around you.
From Ideas to Innovation
This blog post explains the difference between creativity and innovation and why that distinction matters for leaders. It shows how creative thinking can be strengthened through a clear process and how teams, leadership, and organizational climate shape whether ideas become real innovation.
Browse by type
Research to Practice
What the research says and what teams can actually do with it.
Debate
Two-sided takes on the ideas people often oversimplify.
Hot Takes
Sharp arguments that challenge familiar innovation advice.
Expert Lens
Deeper reads on creativity, innovation, leadership, and evidence.
Myth Busters
Common beliefs about creativity and innovation put to the test.
Innovation Spotlight
Concrete examples of innovation in action and what they teach us.
The founders
Meet the people behind the mission
Leading for Innovation was created by two industrial-organizational psychologists who care about making the science of creativity and innovation useful for leaders.
Read about the blogAres
Co-founder
Ares holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, specializing in creativity and innovation. Based in Los Angeles, she works remotely as an Assistant Research Professor for the University of Nebraska Omaha, investigating generative AI's role in creativity and tactical innovation within terrorist organizations. Outside of work, she paints, writes, and cooks her way through her own creative pursuits and is a mum to her orange, chubby cat, Toni.
Sam
Co-founder
Sam holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, where she specialized in creativity and innovation. She works as an Innovation Program Manager at a human capital consulting firm, leading a team that delivers customized innovation support to federal clients. Outside of work, she can be found reading science fiction and fantasy, spending time with family and friends, or cuddling her pug, Petunia.
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Short takes on LinkedIn. Deeper posts on the blog.
We share timely ideas in short form, then develop the strongest ones here into fuller posts.