The Innovation Superpower Nobody's Talking About (Because It's Too Uncomfortable)

Your Innovation Problem Isn't What You Think

Everyone's obsessing over the wrong things. While you're chasing the latest tech or trying to "disrupt" your industry, you're missing the actual superpower hiding in plain sight: the beautiful chaos of diverse minds working together.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: your team probably thinks too much alike. You've built an echo chamber of similar backgrounds, similar education, similar everything. And you're wondering why your innovation feels... stale?

The real innovation trinity is simpler than you think:

• Diversity brings the fresh perspectives that crack open new possibilities
• Inclusion makes sure those perspectives actually get heard
• Creative tension turns different viewpoints into breakthrough solutions

Look at Pixar. They didn't just hire animators—they brought in cultural anthropologists. Google's best solutions? Born from engineers who fundamentally disagreed but respected each other enough to find better answers.

The market isn't waiting for you to get comfortable with difference. While you're playing it safe with sameness, your competitors are building teams that think differently, challenge everything, and create the future.

So here's your wake-up call: Innovation isn't about technology. It's about creating spaces where different minds can collide and create something extraordinary.

The question isn't whether you should embrace diversity and inclusion. It's whether you can afford not to.

Diversity: A Well of Fresh Ideas

Have you ever been part of a team where everyone seemed to think the same way? It probably felt easy to communicate but hard to break new ground. That’s because diversity is the secret sauce behind innovative ideas. When people approach problems from different angles, they challenge assumptions, discover blind spots, and unlock possibilities others may not see.

At Pixar, for instance, co-founder Ed Catmull avoided hiring only from traditional animation backgrounds. Instead, he built teams with people from vastly different worlds—like a cultural anthropologist, a wildlife expert, and even a professional cheerleader. Why? Because those “unconventional” hires offered perspectives that traditional animators simply didn’t have. Who better than a cultural anthropologist to advise on creating an emotionally connected movie like Coco, which celebrates Mexican traditions with respectful complexity?

The result? Pixar didn’t just make animated movies—they created deeply human, relatable stories that have touched audiences globally. Movies like Inside Out and Up weren’t just built by technology but from the unique life perspectives of the diverse people behind them.

How Leaders Can Embrace Diversity:

• Look beyond traditional qualifications. Instead of sticking rigidly to standard hiring criteria, search for people who think differently.
• Cast a wider net. Reach out to underrepresented communities and people with interdisciplinary knowledge.
• Mix up your teams. Encourage collaboration across different functions, allowing people with diverse skill sets to unite and create something remarkable.

Want to dive deeper? Check out the video:

Inclusion: The Magic That Brings Diversity to Life

Diversity brings people to the table, but inclusion ensures they’re heard, respected, and valued. Without it, team members might hesitate to share their ideas—mainly if they differ from everyone else’s.

Inclusion isn’t just about making people feel good—it’s about unlocking their potential. Consider Google’s infrastructure team again. During heated technical debates between competing teams, Bill Coughran didn’t step in to pick sides. Instead, he made space for both teams to argue their case, ensuring everyone’s ideas had a fair shot. A collaborative solution emerged from what could’ve been a conflict—something better than anyone had envisioned.

For leaders, inclusion is about clarifying that every idea is worth hearing. When people feel safe enough to share their “out there” suggestions without fear of judgment or ridicule, they’re much more likely to take creative risks. And that’s where the magic happens.

How Leaders Can Build Inclusion:

• Model openness. Admit your mistakes to show your team it’s okay to be vulnerable.
• Create safe spaces. Regularly invite your team to share their ideas, especially the quieter members who might need encouragement.
• Celebrate all voices. Recognise contributions from everyone, whether it’s a groundbreaking idea or thoughtful feedback.

Learn more from the approach to inclusion:

Creative Abrasion: Turning Conflict into Creativity

Here’s the truth: diversity and inclusion don’t mean agreeing on everything. Healthy conflict—when it’s managed well—is vital to innovation. This is creative abrasion: that space where clashing ideas collide and refine one another into something brilliant.

Similarly, at Pentagram, where some of the world’s top designers collaborate, consensus-based critique is fundamental to their process. Partners, who hail from varied design disciplines, often debate fiercely over projects. Their rule? Keep the discussion about the design—never make it personal. This mutual trust and respect culture has resulted in some of the industry's most innovative and functional designs.

How Leaders Can Channel Creative Abrasion:

• Set the ground rules. Make it clear that discussions should challenge ideas, not personalities.
• Coach your team on the debate. Teach them how to disagree respectfully and productively.
• Celebrate tension. Highlight moments when differences of opinion led to extraordinary solutions.

Explore how creative friction creates breakthroughs:

Final Thought: Creating a Space for Innovation

Ultimately, whether diversity and inclusion succeed in an organization depends on leadership. Leaders set the tone. They establish the systems, behaviours, and cultural norms that foster or stifle innovation.

Leaders like Ed Catmull exemplified this at Pixar. Instead of demanding perfection or micromanaging projects, he put his energy into creating a collaborative, respectful environment where his teams could safely experiment, fail, and ultimately create cinematic masterpieces.

How Leaders Can Guide Innovation:

• Empower the team. Shift decision-making authority to team members where possible.
• Focus on collaboration. Encourage people to work together and build off of each other’s ideas.
• Reward inclusion. Recognise leaders and team members who actively foster diversity and inclusion.

Watch Linda Hill explain this dynamic in her talk: