1. Challenge industry conventions – think critically about your business models and identify ways to distinguish them from the competition.

2. See the trends that your competitors are missing – learn from places where your competitors aren’t even paying attention.

3. Think about what your company knows and what it owns – locate the assets and competencies hidden within your company’s business units or products.

4. Tune in to the unarticulated needs of customers – ask yourself “What customer problems have been solved in other industries but not in ours?”

5. See that all management processes are friendly to innovation – strategic planning, management development, and capital budgeting should all be open to supporting radical ideas