Innovation involves making things better, cheaper~, or more efficient. It improves the human condition. An effective leader knows how to structure interactions and project meetings to move ideas forward and refine them to produce innovative solutions to problems. What sets a successful leader apart from one who just keeps things running is the...

I am thankful to everyone who inspired, encouraged, and supported me through the incredible journey of writing this book. It represents many voices, stories, and insights, which I am privileged to share. Thank you, Dr. James Barufaldi, Dr. Paul Cobb, Dr. Robert Chang, Mr. Priyan Fernando, Dr. Megan Franke, Dr. Rochelle Gutierrez, Dr. Kamil Jbeily, Dr. Richard Milner, and Dr. Mitchell Nathan for...

It was time for yet another meeting. The team members reluctantly shuffled into the room because they were required to be there. The project leader had a PowerPoint presentation and read every single slide and told the team members what they needed to know. Some team members took notes. The leader passed out several handouts during the meeting. One or two individuals asked a few questions at the...

“Where do ideas come from?” is an interesting question. Ideas are products of your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. When you make connections between your prior knowledge and new information, learning happens. Creative ideas emerge when connections are made in novel ways. Leading for innovation is more than keeping things running. It is about creating learning opportunities and...

Everything begins with an idea! How does one turn ideas into theories, services, or innovative products that can potentially make an impact? Have you ever come up with great ideas and insights but never had time to act on them? Action is required to keep things moving forward to make a difference. A project leader needs to create conditions for generating and refining ideas. The goal is to come up...

Why do we innovate? We innovate because we want to solve a problem and make something better, faster, or cheaper. Ultimately, we need to think about the people we are trying to help. Innovation is useful only if it addresses a real need. Therefore, thinking about the context of how the innovation will be used is helpful.

The flow of ideas, information, and knowledge among and within the team and stakeholders allows for innovation to happen. This process is like lighting a light bulb with a battery and wires. The electricity must pass through the wires to make the light bulb turn on. Similarly, the flow of ideas, information, and knowledge is like the electricity going through the wires.

Leading a team to innovate involves thinking about where ideas come from and how to generate them. Understanding the creative process and how to devise conditions to innovate is an important part of leading a team for extraordinary results. Many of us do not start out as a leader. However, leadership skills are needed to make a real difference in lives of others and improve the human condition...

Teruni Lamberg is currently ~associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Nevada, Reno. She received her doctorate in mathematics education at Arizona State University in 2001 and completed a post-doctorate at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of Whole Class Mathematics...