Innovating is much more than the act of creating something new or different. At its heart, innovating is really about how we relate to each other, collaborate, and bring forth our creative uniqueness. This is the view of my guest, Leon Segal, who sees innovation as highly personal because when we learn and practice innovation as a craft, what we learn touches and influences all our relationships and interactions. Leon’s perspective is shaped by his decades of experience guiding innovation projects and consciousness expanding practices.
In this episode Leo and I discuss his journey from studying engineering psychology, to working at NASA in the early ‘90s , and then being recruited by IDEO, one of the best known innovation consultancies in the world. We also discuss a wide range of topics including lessons learned as a jazz musician, reflections on the pros and cons of remote work, establishing an appropriate process for innovation in organizations, the importance of developing a mindset for innovation, his experience learning about working with psychedelics and other consciousness expanding practices, an ideation process Leon designed to be used with cannabis called FreeStorming, and how consciousness expanding practices can be game-changing for leaders.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Leon founded Innovationship in 2012 after over thirty years in human factors, product innovation, and experience design, including leading an IDEO office. His work on empathy and design and his insight that “innovation begins with an eye” are cited in several bestselling books. He has practiced and taught at leading institutions around the world, and his experience across industries and cultures, combined with his hands-on style of teaching, give him a unique perspective on the practice of innovation.
ABOUT MAKING BUSINESS ART
Making Business Art is a podcast for curious people where we draw lessons and inspiration from creative leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, and scientists about making a beautiful business and life. We have conversations about how to create a powerful connection with the people we serve while making our craft an engine for personal growth.
This podcast is the creation of and hosted by me, Ezequiel Williams. I am an entrepreneur, innovation strategist, facilitator, and business designer. I help leaders and teams see their challenges differently and find ways to deliver value that are more desirable and satisfying for the people they serve. I am very curious and love to learn about how things work, what makes people tick, and how to create more joy in the world.
Instagram: @MakingBusinessArt
