Joel Chan and Christian Schunn of the University of Pittsburgh sought to understand how "thought A led to thought B that led to breakthrough C." Via Fast Company:

Don’t filter. “If you start a meeting and you say, 'Okay, we’re gonna come up with really good ideas,' that can be a really bad way to start,” says Shunn. “With that kind of pressure to come up with the best ideas right away, you don’t have a sense of exploration. Things will kind of run dry.”

Don’t start with an example. Planting a solution which worked in the past in someone’s mind makes them much more likely to come up with similar solutions rather than new ones.

Use analogies. "They allow you to step between worlds that seem disconnected and connect them based on some structure to help you come up with new ideas, even if they’re not radical, and then build on them," says Chan.

Insight: Even the smallest distractions can seriously throw us off.

Evidence: Researchers asked participants to complete a series of tedious computer exercises and programmed interruptions to occur after every sixth step, requiring a code entry before returning to work.

They found that a 4.4-second interruption caused people to triple the errors they made when they returned to work, and after a 2.8-second distraction, they more than doubled their errors.

Why It Matters: This means that “it’s not just a phone call that counts as an interruption — just the ringing counts … even if all you want to do is find your phone and shut it off,” the study’s lead author, Michigan State University psychologist Erik Altmann, said.

What To Do: Try dedicating 60- to 90-minute chunks throughout the day to distraction-free work (studies show that’s about as much time as your brain can bear to produce quality work before needing a break, anyway). During that time, sign out of instant-messaging programs, turn off email pop-ups, put your cell phone away, and stay off social media — just imagine how many notifications you’ll have when you sign back on!

"The more I learn, the more I know that I don't know much." It's so freeing to adopt that philosophy as a leader and realize leadership is a journey that evolves over time and experience. Its not a destination. You aren't going to wake up one day and say, "well, looks like I made it...I'm a leader."  It takes effort, internal course correcting, and a vision. Easy, right? Leadership styles can and will change. If you have a certain perception as a leader you can work to change that perception if you want to. Several quick and actionable tips to do just that:

1. Write your aspirational leadership descriptors down on a sticky note and have them on your desk so you are looking at them daily.

2. Ask 3 people to list 10 adjectives that describe you and see if they align with your leadership goals.

3. Allow for 30 minutes of weekly reflection for you to assess how your behaviors are stacking up against who you want to be as a leader - yes put 30 min on your calendar so you actually do this.

4. Be a servant leader. You're there to help others and the greater good. Don't be too proud to serve your people and walk alongside of them.

5. Stay inspired. There's no way you can effectively lead and inspire others if you're not inspired yourself. Maintain a work/life balance so you can do the things you love; find people, articles, podcast, books that inspire you and renew your thinking.

Bonus Tip: Find a mentor, a truth-teller, that knows you and has accomplished some of things you're wanting to accomplish. They'll be able to guide you, be a sounding board, and give you tough feedback while also affirming your strengths.