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Excerpts

CONTENTS

Foreword by Kevin Roberts

Backstory: One Million Ideas

Introduction: In Search of Elegance

PART 1: PRINCIPLES

1 The Art of Ingenuity
Business meets art and science in an emerging view of work.

2 The Pursuit of Perfection
Conventional wisdom forcing a choice between small steps and big leaps misses the point.

3 The Rhythm of Fit
What distinguishes great innovation is its ability to serve the changing needs of society.

PART 2: PRACTICES

4 Let Learning Lead
Learning and innovation go hand in hand, but learning comes first.

5 Learn to See
Elegant solutions often come from customers -- get out more and live in their world.

6 Design for Today
Focus on clear and present needs, or your great ideas remain just that.

7 Think in Pictures
Make your intentions visual -- you'll surprise yourself with the image.

8 Capture the Intangible
The most compelling solutions are often perceptual and emotional.

9 Leverage the Limits
Restraining forces rule -- resource constraints can spur ingenuity.

10 Master the Tension
Breakthrough thinking demands something to break through.

11 Run the Numbers
Think for yourself -- temper instinct with insight, focus on facts, and do the math.

12 Make Kaizen Mandatory
Pursuing perfection requires great discipline -- create a standard, follow it, and find a better way.

13 Keep It Lean
Complexity kills -- scale it back, make it simple, and let it flow.

PART 3: PROTOCOL

14 The Clamshell Strategy
Management plays a key role in releasing the power of front-line innovation.

15 The Elegant Solution
A team in pursuit of the elegant solution taps the full formula in one session.

Afterword -- Words of Encouragement

Notes & Credits

Acknowledgments

Index