Fighting the fear that blocks creativity

Dietz was able to reinvent the pediatric imaging experience because he reclaimed his creative confidence. Following the guidelines we describe in this HBR article, he stopped being afraid of four things that many of us come to dread.

• He ventured into the messy unknown by leaving his desk and visiting the local hospital to gather first-hand insights.
• He suspended his fear of judgment when he told his boss he wanted to rethink a successful (and profitable) machine.
• He accepted losing control when he brought non-technical, non-GE people into what he could have considered his project.
• He quickly took the first step toward a prototype, experimenting with something as silly as cartoon-like decals.