Innovation is fundamentally the result of creative problem solving. But creativity
is a delicate creature, and nurturing it in organizations is a topic much discussed in both
the academic literature and the popular press (Amabile et. al. 1996, Amabile and
Kraemer, 2011). A basic challenge is that creative problem solvers are extremely diverse
in their habits of thought and action. As such, an organization that supports one
person’s excellence will drive others to despair and distraction. And the best individuals
to solve a particular problem could literally be scattered around the world (Lakhani and
Panetta, 2007). As Bill Joy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, once famously said, “Most
of the bright people don’t work for you -- no matter who you are. [So] you need a
strategy that allows for innovation occurring elsewhere.”3