Collaborative Technology Leads to Collaborative Leadership

In my 2007 book Group Genius, I predicted that the organization of the future would drive innovation with collaboration. In the ten years since, this prediction has largely come true. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal described how several big companies have shifted to a more collaborative, more innovative organizational structure–enabled by collaborative software that didn’t… Read More Collaborative Technology Leads to Collaborative Leadership

January 5, 2017 keithsawyerLeave a comment

Books About Complexity and Emergence

I thought the market for complexity books had been saturated, but here’s another one: A Crude Look at the Whole by John H. Miller. (WSJ review here.) The first wave of complexity books was in the mid 1990s: 1993. Mitchell Waldrop’s Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos 1996. Stuart Kaufman’s At Home… Read More Books About Complexity and Emergence

February 3, 2016 keithsawyer3 Comments

The Emergence of Creativity: Matt Ridley’s New Book

You’ve got to read the excerpt from Matt Ridley’s new book in today’s Wall Street Journal. Just released this week, his book is called The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge. I have a lot of respect for his previous books, so I’m delighted to learn that his new book makes the same points as… Read More The Emergence of Creativity: Matt Ridley’s New Book

October 24, 2015 keithsawyer5 Comments

Group Genius: Radical in 2007, Conventional Wisdom Today

In 2007, my book Group Genius made a radical claim: The discipline of psychology could never explain creativity, because creativity emerges from collaborative groups and networks. In 2007, this put me at odds with most of my creativity research colleagues; they studied solitary individuals. And it was a bit cutting edge for the business world,… Read More Group Genius: Radical in 2007, Conventional Wisdom Today

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 keithsawyer3 Comments

How Art Gets Created (Homage to Howie Becker)

My approach to creativity was deeply inspired by Howie Becker’s 1982 book Art Worlds–a close analysis of the work done by painters, sculptors, and photographers, of course, but also all of the other roles necessary to get art done and to get it valued, sold, and talked about. Becker made a convincing argument that art doesn’t… Read More How Art Gets Created (Homage to Howie Becker)

January 10, 2015 keithsawyer2 Comments

What Political System Best Fosters Innovation?

My research shows that innovation always emerges from collaborative groups and distributed social networks. My 2007 book Group Genius proves that the lone inventor is a myth. All creativity emerges from many contributions, from many different people, distributed through space and time. The most innovative teams, organizations, and economic systems are the ones that enable everyone’s… Read More What Political System Best Fosters Innovation?

December 24, 2014 keithsawyer5 Comments

The Airplane: Not Invented By the Wright Brothers

One of the most fascinating stories in patent law is now over 100 years old: the story about how the Wright Brothers tried to lock up all legal rights to human flight. I told this story in my 2007 book Group Genius, and I’ve just learned that Lawrence Goldstone has told a new version–in his… Read More The Airplane: Not Invented By the Wright Brothers

April 10, 2014 keithsawyer12 Comments

The Secret of San Francisco’s Entrepreneurial Success

I’ve been reading and re-reading an awesome article about San Francisco’s entrepreneurial culture, by Nathan Heller in the New Yorker magazine.* Heller spent some time shadowing Johnny Hwin, an entrepreneur and musician who he calls “one of the best-connected kids in San Francisco.” Heller’s article is driven by a puzzle he can’t figure out: Hwin… Read More The Secret of San Francisco’s Entrepreneurial Success

October 20, 2013October 20, 2013 keithsawyerLeave a comment

Innovation When You Least Expect It

I’m in San Francisco to give a talk, and I flew here on United. I discovered that this month’s in-flight magazine has a special section on innovation! I have to admit, I rarely even open the in-flight magazines when I travel, so this is the last thing I was expecting. It starts with an interview… Read More Innovation When You Least Expect It

February 14, 2013 keithsawyerLeave a comment

KANEKO: Creativity in Omaha

Tonight, I’m giving the keynote talk at a big event at KANEKO, a creative space in the historic center of Omaha, created by artists Jun and Ree Kaneko. KANEKO is an “Open Space for Your Mind” that aims to foster creativity in the arts, sciences, and philosophy. As one of their brochures puts it, KANEKO… Read More KANEKO: Creativity in Omaha

April 5, 2012 keithsawyer2 Comments