How to Think Like an Innovator Even If You Don’t See Yourself as One
Updated: Oct 30, 2025
Dr. Stacy McCracken is a global speaker, leadership strategist, and innovation expert who helps leaders and teams think bigger, lead smarter, and thrive through change. Through her IMPACT Experience™, she equips organizations to unlock innovation, build trust, and turn human potential into extraordinary results.
Think innovation is only for inventors, founders, or "the creative ones"? Think again. Innovative thinking, the ability to see new possibilities and solve problems differently, is a learnable skill. In a world shaped by AI and rapid change, it's becoming non-negotiable. The good news? You don't need a special title, a massive budget, or a genius gene to unlock it. You only need a shift in how you see yourself and how you approach everyday problems.
"Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." – Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi.
Innovative thinking is about insight, not just invention. So, what does it mean to think like an innovator in an age of uncertainty, ambiguity, and declining trust in leadership?
What is innovative thinking (really)?
When most people hear the word innovation, they think of big inventions, the next iPhone, a breakthrough in biotech, a new AI tool, or a billion-dollar startup. But innovative thinking isn't just about world-changing products. It's the ability to generate, evaluate, and apply new ideas to real-world challenges.
Innovative thinking is described as a set of behaviors, including questioning, experimenting, observing, and networking. In other words, it's less about having one "aha!" moment and more about practicing small, repeatable habits that unlock new possibilities.
Neuroscience backs this up. Creativity is a whole-brain activity. New experiences and information create new pathways, while the brain's "default network" runs in the background, connecting the dots when we least expect it. Leaders also play a critical role. The way they ask questions and frame instructions directly shapes how their teams think and respond.
Why innovation isn't reserved for departments and creative types
It's easy to assume that some people are "naturally innovative". You've likely met a few creatives, entrepreneurs, and disruptors. Your organization may even have a department or role dedicated to innovation. Yet, research tells a different story. Innovative thinking isn't an inherited trait. It's a skill that can be developed through the right mindset and practice. These skills can be fostered in individuals regardless of age or industry.
When organizations limit innovation and innovative thinking to specific teams or the young, leaving their mid-career professionals and interdisciplinary thinkers out of the loop, they are wasting immense potential.
In today's workplace, innovative thinking matters more than ever. The World Economic Forum estimates that 59% of workers will need reskilling by 2030, especially in durable skills like creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving. These aren't "nice-to-haves", they're what keep businesses competitive and people employable.
Busting the age myth
One common argument for youth over experience is that older workers slow down cognitively. They just aren't as sharp (the polite way of saying smart). While early research supported this perspective, neuroscience continues to explore the brain and is finding new evidence every day that suggests something different.
A 2025 study published in Science Advances found evidence that our brains continue to develop well into our 50s for numeracy and literacy, provided we use them. The brain's neuroplasticity is not diminished by age and continues to build new connections, which is immensely valuable for problem-solving and innovative thinking.
In my own study of working professionals, I found no significant age-related differences in innovative thinking. The brain simply needs to be challenged and stretched. Its adaptability, regardless of age, is one of the greatest supporters of innovative thinking.
Three simple mindset shifts that unlock innovation
Based on my study of innovative thinking among working professionals, here are three simple mindset shifts that make innovative thinking a daily habit, strengthen your leadership, and expand your growth mindset.
1. From talent to trainable
Many people assume innovators are born with unique abilities. While that may be true for some, most have simply refined a core set of skills over time. Surprisingly, growth mindset and innovative thinking are only weakly related. In other words, having a strong growth mindset doesn’t automatically lead to greater innovative thinking.
When I looked deeper into the data, a powerful pattern emerged. Working professionals with a growth mindset were much more likely to ask questions. (In statistical terms, the link between questioning and innovative thinking was highly significant.)
Translation? People who believe they can learn are more likely to ask better questions, and better questions are the spark that ignites innovative ideas.
2. From fear of being wrong to test-and-learn
Most breakthroughs don't come from a single trial. They come from a series of small experiments. In fact, experimenting and informal learning, both fueled by curiosity, were linked to stronger innovative thinking. Innovation doesn't require bold leaps. It thrives in safe-to-try environments where failure is reframed as learning.
Testing and learning can happen without a budget, a lab, or formal approval. It starts with curiosity. Ask one new question each day, even something as simple as "What if we approached this differently?" or "What would happen if we removed one step?" Dedicate just ten minutes to observe, adjust, or test a small idea. The goal isn't perfection, it's discovery.
One of the easiest ways to practice this mindset is through AI experimentation. You can prototype ideas, test messaging, or brainstorm solutions in real time. AI becomes your low-risk sandbox, a partner that helps you explore possibilities faster and see patterns sooner.
Want a simple way to start? Try the AI Experimentation Playbook, a short guide to help you turn curiosity into action and practice test-and-learn thinking with AI.
3. From avoiding AI to collaborating with it
The biggest mindset shift may be around technology. In 2018, MIT researcher Thomas Malone described a future where artificial intelligence (AI) and humans work together to share collective intelligence as a supermind. This collective of people and machines is no different than a team working together to solve problems or generate new ideas. The team now includes a new member, the computer.
Working professionals with an interest in AI had significantly higher scores on innovative thinking than those with only a growth mindset. Professionals with both a high growth mindset and a high interest in AI scored the very highest in innovative thinking. Early studies suggest AI tools promote divergent thinking, making humans + AI a powerful partnership for creativity.
How to apply this today at work
The good news? You don't need to overhaul your job or team to start. Here are a few small, practical moves you can try today:
1. Start meetings with a better question
Instead of diving straight into updates, ask one assumption-busting question. My favorite, "What problem are we trying to solve?" Leaders shape how teams think, and even subtle shifts in how you frame a problem can spark fresh perspectives.
2. Practice notice
Innovation often begins by noticing what others miss. The NOTICE™ framework helps you slow down, spot patterns, name assumptions, and test small shifts. Try using it for a week, even in everyday situations, and see how it changes your approach to problem-solving.
3. Run a 10-minute AI experiment
Instead of treating AI as a threat or siloing it for a singular purpose, use it as a thinking partner. Assign it a role (like "experienced facilitator" or "strategy consultant"), give it a challenge, and ask for 2–3 different approaches. Always include a "surprise me" request. You'll be amazed at how often the unexpected idea gets your team unstuck.
4. Do a mindset check-in and get curious
Quick reflection questions can signal where you are on the growth–innovation spectrum and fuel curiosity. Try a quick mindset check-in. What assumptions am I making? What would a different perspective reveal? What possibilities haven't been explored yet?
These micro-assessments not only reveal where you stand but also create space for growth.
Start small, start now
Innovative thinking doesn't begin with a billion-dollar idea or a breakthrough invention. It starts with one question, one experiment, or one fresh perspective. Pick something small you can try in the next 24 hours, whether that's rephrasing a meeting question, testing the NOTICE™ framework, or running a quick AI experiment.
Over time, those small steps build the muscle of innovative thinking. And that's how you shift from "I'm not an innovator" to "I practice innovative thinking every day."
Today's problems demand fresh thinking, and today's leaders must adapt at lightning speed. Innovative thinking, curiosity, and a growth mindset are the core skills modern leaders must refine to engage their teams, build trust, and thrive.
Innovative thinking is a skill for everyone. Download the NOTICE™ Framework Habit Tracker and start strengthening your innovative thinking muscle today.
Read more from Dr. Stacy McCracken
Dr. Stacy McCracken, Leadership Strategist and Innovation Expert
Dr. Stacy McCracken began her career as an engineer leading change in manufacturing plants, where she discovered that real innovation starts with people. Known for her bias for action and comfort with ambiguity, she helps leaders gain clarity, navigate change, and accelerate results. Having seen firsthand how ineffective leadership destroys morale, wastes resources, and erodes trust, Stacy brings a grounded understanding to her work as a global speaker and leadership strategist. Through Impact and Lead and her IMPACT Experience™, she helps organizations build trust, spark innovation, and turn human potential into extraordinary results.
