Our Mission
Helping Leaders Innovate.
Curators of What Works. Translators of Why It Matters.
As two industrial-organizational psychologists passionate about creativity and innovation, we're tired of watching great research die in journals while leaders make the same avoidable mistakes. Leading for Innovation is our answer. Our mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice by creating advice and insights that help leaders innovate and support innovation across their teams.
Research doesn't change organizations. Leaders who know how to use it do.
The Problem We're Solving
Organizations invest heavily in innovation, but leaders and managers often get little evidence-based guidance on how to develop creative people, evaluate ideas, or build innovative teams. Innovation ends up running on intuition instead of what the research has already taught us.
Decades of research, case studies, and real-world examples of organizations getting it right (and wrong) give us insight into what we can do differently. What doesn't exist is a platform with credible voices who can spotlight what's happening in the field and translate it into something grounded in human behavior and usable on Monday morning.
It's hard to find innovation advice that's credible, grounded in human behavior, and usable on Monday morning.
What We Do Differently
Here's what we do about it. Every week we read the research so you don't have to. We identify what's credible, explain why it matters, and translate it into practical actions leaders can apply with their teams. Along the way, we challenge common misconceptions and highlight real examples of what actually works.
Every piece we publish carries the same three properties:
- Opinionated. We take a position. We don't say "it depends" without telling you what it depends on.
- Practical. Every piece gives you something you can act on in the next 30 days, not just something to think about.
- Evidenced. Every recommendation is grounded in research, case evidence, or direct organizational experience.
What To Expect
Leading for Innovation is built for leaders at every level, current and aspiring managers, senior leadership, and the individual innovators pushing ideas forward inside their organizations. Whether you're leading your first team, guiding an organization's broader innovation strategy, or just trying to think and create better where you sit, you'll find practical, research-informed guidance designed to help you lead innovation with confidence.
You can expect fresh, curated content and insights on a biweekly basis, delivered in whatever format meets you where you are. LinkedIn is where we share sharper, shorter takes and react to what's happening in the field in real time. This blog is where the deeper thinking lives, the full frameworks and our extended analysis when a topic demands more room. Down the line, we'll expand into video and other formats, always with the same standard behind them.
The People
The People Behind Leading for Innovation

Ares
Co-founder
Ares holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, specializing in creativity and innovation. Based in Los Angeles, she works remotely as an Assistant Research Professor for the University of Nebraska Omaha, investigating generative AI's role in creativity and tactical innovation within terrorist organizations. Outside of work, she paints, writes, and cooks her way through her own creative pursuits and is a mum to her orange, chubby cat, Toni.
Read Ares’s posts →
Sam
Co-founder
Sam holds a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma, where she specialized in creativity and innovation. She works as an Innovation Program Manager at a human capital consulting firm, leading a team that delivers customized innovation support to federal clients. Outside of work, she can be found reading science fiction and fantasy, spending time with family and friends, or cuddling her pug, Petunia.
Read Sam’s posts →