All innovation begins with the imagination. But before your imagination can be harnessed, it must be ignited. In an excerpt from their book of the same title, the authors argue that three things spark the imagination: accidents, anomalies and analogies. However, for any of these types of surprises to impact us, our minds must be prepared, and that means improving our abilities in three areas: noticing; comprehending; and interpreting. They describe how to develop and improve upon each skill, along the way explaining the importance of paying attention to our frustrations, how to draw analogies and how to immerse ourselves in new worldviews.

Companies that rigidly adhere to traditional approaches to goal setting may be driving their business in the wrong direction. More than ever, goals must be set in relation to the competitive environment.