Paralysis of leadership is due in part to the unseen grip of the special interests.
John W. GardnerRead
Creativity requires the freedom to consider 'unthinkable' alternatives, to doubt the worth of cherished practices. Every organization, every society is under the spell of assumptions so familiar that they are never questioned, least of all by those most intimately involved.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creativity thrives when we challenge our assumptions and question established norms.
This quote by John W. Gardner emphasizes the importance of questioning the deeply held beliefs and practices within organizations and societies. He suggests that true creativity can only emerge when individuals are given the freedom to explore unconventional ideas and consider alternatives that may seem unthinkable. By highlighting how assumptions often go unchallenged, Gardner calls for a critical examination of the status quo to unlock innovative potential.
Themes
CreativityFreedomAssumptionsInnovationQuestioningSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting to encourage innovative ideas, I might say, 'Remember, creativity requires the freedom to consider unthinkable alternatives.'
More from John W. Gardner
All quotes βMore and more Americans feel threatened by runaway technology, by large-scale organization, by overcrowding. More and more Americans are appalled by the ravages of industrial progress, by the defacement of nature, by man-made ugliness. If our society continues at its present rate to become less livable as it becomes more affluent, we promise all to end up in sumptuous misery.
John W. GardnerRead
Storybook happiness involves every form of pleasant thumb-twiddling; true happiness involves the full use of one's powers and talents.
John W. GardnerRead
Leaders come in many forms, with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county. Some find strength in eloquence, some in judgment, some in courage.
John W. GardnerRead
We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.
John W. GardnerRead
I think that all human systems require continuous renewal. They rigidify. They get stuff in the joints. They forget what they cared about. The forces against it are nostalgia and the enormous appeal of having things the way they always have been, appeals to a supposedly happy past. But we've got to move on.
John W. GardnerRead
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