Integrative thinking—truly caring about two seemingly paradoxical and opposing ideas—is a more powerful way of innovating than simply resorting to either/or or black-and-white thinking. It’s about embracing a “Both/And” approach rather than an “Either/Or” mindset.
A prime example of this is found in the book Unreasonable Hospitality, where the author discusses how a world-renowned restaurant achieved its success by committing to both exceptional quality and boundless creativity. These two ideas had previously seemed completely opposable to one another. Eleven Madison Park didn’t choose between the two; instead, it fully embraced both, allowing it to stand out in the highly competitive culinary world and become the number one restaurant in the world for a while.
The concept of holding two seemingly opposing values can lead to profound innovation and creativity. Consider the example of JetBlue Airlines, which set out to be both the low-cost provider and the airline that offers the best customer experience in the industry. This approach forces companies to think creatively and find solutions that others might overlook.
This idea is further explored in Roger Martin’s The Opposable Mind. Martin argues that the most successful leaders and innovators are those who can hold two opposing ideas in their minds and create a synthesis that improves upon both.
By embracing integrative thinking, we allow ourselves to break free from conventional constraints and uncover innovative solutions that might otherwise remain hidden.
-Chris Cloud and the CloudNINE Team
