A leader asks people to list uses for a paperclip. Without prompts, they get a few ideas. When asked how a clown or thief might use it, the same person generates dozens. Simple guidance unlocks creative output.
Here's an experiment you can do to elevate your leadership. Grab a colleague and grab a paperclip. Give that colleague as much time as they want. But I wouldn't do more than a minute to give you as many unique ideas on how to use a paperclip. Then, in the second experiment, the same colleague give them simple prompts. Say, give me your ideas of how a clown would use this, how would a thief use this? How would my grandmother use this? And you'll notice when given prompts, they have an explosion of ideas. Great leaders give basic prompts, basic guidance, and it elevates the team.
