In this episode, we sit down with Gary Klein, author of Seeing What Others Don’t, to explore the fascinating science behind insights and how organizations can foster smarter thinking and innovation. Klein dives deep into over 120 real-world stories he’s collected—ranging from Daniel Boone to Napoleon—and explains the two powerful triggers behind most breakthroughs: connections and anomalies.
Discover how organizations often suppress insights, and why a focus on predictability and perfection can kill innovation. Learn about his new concept of Insight Audits and how leaders can shift their environments to better capture the power of spontaneous insight.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and Sponsor
00:27 – Meet Gary Klein
00:59 – Collecting Insight Stories
02:19 – Up Arrow vs. Down Arrow
05:38 – Connections & Discrepancies
09:16 – Barriers to Insight in Organizations
15:06 – Historical Insight Failures
32:30 – Insight Audits: How to Fix It
37:27 – Battle of Midway Case Study
41:38 – 1973 Yom Kippur War Insight Miss
47:23 – Napoleon at Toulon
50:58 – The Mann Gulch Fire: Creative Desperation
58:42 – Yellow Fever & Scientific Resistance
01:06:46 – Daniel Boone: Ditching the Plan
01:10:47 – Wrap-Up & Resources
Find Gary here: https://www.shadowboxtraining.com/our-team/people/gklein/ Find Seeing What Others Don’t: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights here: https://amzn.to/4qNlekq
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Gary Klein, insight generation, organizational innovation, decision making, cognitive psychology, seeing what others don’t, leadership, business strategy, Aidan McCullen, the innovation show