Diversity of Thinking Drives Innovation

"Why don't we have any fresh ideas around here?" Because we've built rooms full of people who think the same. The problem isn't a lack of intelligence. It's a lack of thinking diversity. For years we've talked about diversity of gender, age, ethnicity and experience. All of that matters. But there's another kind of diversity that organisations often overlook. Diversity of thinking. The people who transform organisations are rarely the loudest. They're the ones who ask the question nobody else thought to ask. The generalist. The newcomer. The curious one. The maverick. The person who changes the quality of the conversation. Because that's where innovation begins. Not with another expert. But with someone who thinks differently. ## 3 Maverick Thinking Principles 1. Protect thinking diversity as fiercely as demographic diversity. 2. Reward curiosity as much as certainty. 3. Don't just hire expertise. Hire people who improve the quality of thinking in the room. Here's what I believe. The future won't belong to the teams with the highest IQ. It will belong to the teams with the strongest Human Intelligence. Teams that challenge assumptions. Connect unlikely ideas. Exercise judgement. Stay curious when everyone else rushes to certainty. Because in the age of AI, thinking differently isn't a nice-to-have. It's what makes us irreplaceable. That's what I mean by Human Intelligence. And that's what I hope every conversation helps to strengthen.