Thoughtful Thursday
- Catherine Addor
- Jan 22
- 1 min read
“When you need to innovate, you need collaboration.”
~Marissa Mayer
Innovation is rarely born in isolation. The most powerful ideas emerge when diverse perspectives come together. When voices are welcomed, challenged, and amplified. Collaboration is not about agreement; it’s about collective thinking. It’s about creating spaces where curiosity thrives, risk is encouraged, and failure is seen as feedback.
In schools, in leadership, and in life, progress happens when we stop guarding ideas and start sharing them. Innovation is not a solo act; it’s a chorus.
Before we move forward, it’s worth pausing to reflect:
Who am I intentionally collaborating with right now?
Whose voice might be missing from the conversation?
Am I creating space for dissent and different perspectives?
How do I respond when someone challenges my thinking?
Where could collaboration help me see a problem differently?
Reflection is powerful, but action moves us forward:
Invite one new voice into a current project or initiative.
Create a thinking partner: someone who challenges you constructively.
Model vulnerability by sharing a draft idea instead of a polished one.
Celebrate collective wins publicly and often.
Ask better questions instead of offering quick solutions.
Innovation doesn’t require you to have all the answers. It asks you to be brave enough to ask better questions together. Collaboration is not a strategy; it’s a mindset. When we lead with openness, we don’t just innovate, we transform.
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