Seems like our past postings on quotes have been a big hit in the blogosphere (and maybe New Jersey). So, here ya go -- links to all the cool quotes posted on The Heart of Innovation in the past year.

1. 100 Awesome Quotes on What It Really Takes to Innovate

2. 50 Awesome Quotes on Risktaking

3. 15 Awesome Quotes on Creative Collaboration

4. Rethinking Failure

5. 20 Awesome Quotes on the Relationship Between Play, Humor, and Creativity

6. The Timeless Wisdom of Einstein

7. Famous Last Words

Leonardo DaVinci got his idea for the airplane by watching birds in flight.

The creators of Kung Fu developed many of their techniques by watching animals fight.

The pharmaceutical industry develops many of its "miracle cures" by studying the natural healing properties of herbs and plants.

Bottom line, nature is a great source of breakthrough ideas.

The secret for meeting your biggest challenge, in fact, may have already been worked out thousands of years ago by a cockroach.

Innovation, the endless effort to find a better way, cannot be achieved by robotically lining up best practices and imitating them. The real catalyzing agent for innovation is the ground from which these best practices spring -- the confluence of purpose, people, and processes better known as culture.

From where will the next wave of groundbreaking innovation come?

Not from organizations mechanically mimicking each other's best practices, but from organizations with the commitment to take their stand on ground that has been cultivated for breakthrough.

If you check the contents of the most popular books on innovation, the same topics show up again and again: strategy, systems, process, leadership, customer focus, risk, speed to market, prototyping, metrics, mass collaboration, market intelligence, technology, and creative thinking.

Yes, all of these topics are important. But none of them can take root in an organization without one fundamental element being in place -- a consciously created culture of innovation.

As your organization continues rebounding from the financial meltdown, here are 50 ways to ensure that it becomes increasingly conducive to ongoing innovation. Commit to a few of these today and make some magic. Your next step?

1. Remember that innovation requires no fixed rules or templates -- only guiding principles. Creating a more innovative culture is an organic and creative act.

2. Wherever you can, whenever you can, always drive fear out of the workplace. Fear is "Public Enemy #1" of an innovative culture.

3. Have more fun. If you're not having fun (or at least enjoying the process) something is off.

C_n y__ r_ad th__ se_t_nc_ ?

Probably.

And do you know why you can? Because you've been given just enough information to deduce a meaning.

Your brain, drawing on past experiences of letters, words and sentences, recognizes a pattern -- or at least thinks it does.

Human beings are masters at "filling in the blanks." We see something, compare it to our storehouse of past memories, reach a conclusion and then act on it.

This pattern-recognizing ability of ours is very useful tool. It saves us time, lets us to make decisions on the fly, and helps us interpret our world.

Since 1986, I have asked 10,000 people where and when they get their best ideas.

Less than 2% have said "the workplace."

Based on my 25 years of working with a ton of innovation-seeking organizations, here's my interpretation WHY:

Recognize any?

1. Too much to do, not enough time.

2. Too many distractions and interruptions.

3. Constantly changing priorities.

4. Sleep deprivation.

5. Mental clutter.

6. Fear that someone will steal your idea.

More about the subconscious

Of the 410 postings on this blog, the most popular ones have been our lists. Many have "gone viral" (which, I guess, is better than "going postal.")

Anyway, just in case you want to see what all the fuss is about, here is a list of our lists -- something for everybody -- even a list about WHY lists are so compelling.

1. 26 Reasons Why Most Brainstorming Sessions Suck

2. 50 Ways to Foster a Culture of Innovation

3. 20 Reasons Why Many People Get Their Best Ideas in the Shower

4. 56 Reasons Why Most Innovation Initiatives Fail

The word "innovate" can be traced all the way back to 1440. It comes from the Middle French word "innovacyon," meaning "renewal" or "new way of doing things".

Exactly what innovations actually happened in 1440 (rounder oxcart wheels?) is anybody's guess, but whatever they were, it's likely they improved the quality of life for more than a few people.

These days, the "innovation thing" is something of a no-brainer. Every company worth its low-salt lunch has identified innovation as a core competency needing to be developed.

Who in their right mind (or is it right brain?) can deny the value of improving things? Isn't this what human beings, those grand inventors of the microchip and the chocolate chip, are supposed to do?

Here is a wonderfully comprehensive review of Free the Genie (our new, online brainstorming tool), by Chuck Frey, of Innovation Tools -- one of the leading innovation portals on the web.

If you are looking for an engaging way to stir the creative juices, spark new ideas, and discover unique ways of approaching big challenges, this is your ticket.

And it only takes a few minutes...

To sign up for your free 10-day trial, click here. Or here. Or here.

Client testimonials about the producers of Free the Genie.

Those of us at Idea Champions have been designing and facilitating creative thinking sessions for a wide range of organizations since 1986.

We've worked with left-brained people, right-brained people, and air-brained people -- all of whom have been interested in "getting out of the box."

In the process of providing our service, one thing has continued to astound us: No one has any time, or more precisely -- thinks they have any time. And because they don't, the need to "cut to the chase" remains paramount.

Speed rules -- and along with it the desire for "tools and techniques."

Now, we have nothing against tools and techniques. They can be very helpful. Golf pros give them out all the time. But tools and techniques are never enough -- especially in the realm of creative thinking.

Here's a terrific article on creativity, based on the work of three Harvard researchers/professors.

According to Teresa Amabile's research, "inner work life" is one of the biggest determinants of creative output. In other words, a positive mood is a pre-condition for creativity in the workplace.

If you are attempting to establish a sustainable culture of innovation in your organization, you (and everyone else) would be well-served to do everything humanly possible to positively impact the mood (i.e. tone, feeling, atmosphere, vibe, spirit) of the environment in which you work.

And that begins, of course, with the individual.

When you treat people with respect, acknowledgment, and genuine positive reinforcement, you significantly increase the odds of creativity -- and by extension, innovation -- flourishing in your organization.

Common sense? For sure. But common sense is all too uncommon in most organizations these days. In our rush to produce, get an edge, and accomplish, we forget the most important thing -- and that is the quality of our interactions with others.

During the past 25 years, I've asked more than 10,000 people where and when they get their best ideas. I get all kinds of answers, but the one that has always fascinated me is "the shower" -- maybe because I also get so many of my good ideas there.

And so, at the risk of overstating my case, I hereby offer you 20 reasons WHY the shower is so conducive to new ideas.

1. Showering signals "a new day" or "new beginning."

2. You're usually alone, with time to reflect.

3. Interruptions are rare.

4. The rush of water creates a kind of "white noise" that makes concentration easier.

5. Shower stalls look like little incubation chambers.

In olden times (pre-Starbucks, pre-Twitter, pre-Lady Gaga), the quickest way to get your wishes fulfilled was to get a magic lamp, rub it, and wait for the genie to appear.

Times have changed.

Now, it seems, you need a life coach, an iphone, and a social media strategy.

Me? I long for simplicity.

Breakthrough is not about complexity. It's about getting out of your way long enough to arrive at extraordinary, new possibilities.

Which is why I'm thrilled to announce the launch of our new, virtual Free the Genie tool -- a powerfully engaging desktop catalyst that makes it easy for anyone with a challenge or opportunity to generate, develop, and share their inspired ideas with others.

And all for 10 cents a day -- or less...