How a Walk in the City Inspires Innovative Thinking

When I work with longer-term clients, I enjoy shaking things up by taking them out of the office for a tour of Tel Aviv. As Israel's entrepreneurial epicenter, the city oozes inspiration from its independent founding spirit. Figures like Meir Dizzengoff, Tel Aviv's first mayor, envisioned grandness where merely sand stood.

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We observe how each building, park, bench, and street tells a story - fueling imagination and inspiring us. What messages do our surroundings share? How can we spot innovation all around us?

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When we finish the tour, I usually give the participants a task: divide into groups and come back with a short TED-style talk titled “How can we live the most interesting lives possible?”.

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Ideas generated include:

* Make each day count by asking more questions than making statements.

* When faced with a problem without an obvious solution, find a child and ask their perspective.

* Don't let a day go by without offering a useful idea to improve a stranger's life.

* Try befriending someone new each day, then part ways to maintain curiosity.

* Regularly ask yourself - if I won the lottery how would I change my life?

*Surround yourself with people who think differently.

* Ask someone daily about their dream.

* Consider shadowing someone fascinating for a day.

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Tel Aviv stirred discussion on enriching our domains with lively curiosity as Dizzengoff first stirred the sands. A walk among innovators promotes innovative thinking.

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