The Intersection of Ideas
Powering Innovation through Integrated Thinking
Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. The most transformative ideas often arise at the intersection of fields, disciplines, and even cultures. This isn’t just a theory—it’s a pattern repeated throughout history. When different concepts collide, innovation emerges, and this is where integrated thinking comes into play.
Most people tend to think linearly: if you want to succeed in one field, you immerse yourself fully in it, studying the key trends, strategies, and best practices unique to that domain. While this may sound logical, it overlooks a critical truth about how innovation really works. The most groundbreaking solutions and ideas often come from blending elements of seemingly unrelated fields.
Take, for instance, The Medici Effect, a book by Frans Johansson. He explores how diversity of thought sparked the Renaissance. The Medici family of Florence didn’t just fund painters—they brought together sculptors, architects, scientists, and philosophers, creating an environment ripe for cross-pollination of ideas. This cross-disciplinary collaboration was the seedbed of one of history’s most fertile periods of creativity and innovation.
It’s an approach I’ve embraced, even though my background is far from traditional in the banking or SBA lending world. I didn’t spend years immersed in the technicalities of SBA loans. Yet, people often ask why I, as a CEO, look to other disciplines—ranging from tech to philosophy—for inspiration. The reason is simple: integrated thinking. By drawing from different fields, I’ve found new ways to approach challenges, innovate, and create solutions that might not be obvious to those focused on just one area.
What Is Integrated Thinking?
Integrated thinking is the ability to combine seemingly opposing ideas to generate superior outcomes. Roger Martin, in The Opposable Mind, explains that successful leaders don’t see conflicting ideas as “either/or” choices. Instead, they leverage the tension between opposing options to create something innovative that draws from both. It’s not about choosing between A or B—it’s about synthesizing elements from A and B to form C, a completely new and better path.
This concept is integral to leadership and decision-making. Martin uses examples from business to show how great leaders don’t settle for trade-offs. Instead, they explore the tension between different viewpoints and use that as a creative springboard.
For instance, Procter & Gamble’s CEO A.G. Lafley was faced with a choice: should the company cut costs and compete on price, or should they double down on innovation and charge premium prices? Instead of choosing one path, Lafley integrated both strategies, creating a dual approach that delivered better results than either option could have achieved alone. He pushed his company to both cut costs and innovate, leading to P&G’s resurgence in the early 2000s.
Innovation at the Intersection
One of the most famous examples of innovation coming from the intersection of unrelated fields comes from Steve Jobs. In his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford, Jobs explained how a seemingly random decision to take a calligraphy class at Reed College ended up shaping the design of the Macintosh computer. That calligraphy class led him to integrate beautiful typography into the personal computer, something that was unheard of at the time. This innovation wasn’t the product of technical expertise in computer science—it came from combining aesthetics with technology, giving rise to the modern user interface as we know it.
Jobs’ story is a perfect illustration of how innovation comes from blending disparate ideas, and it’s a core part of how I think as a leader. My background isn’t rooted in years of traditional SBA lending experience, and while that sometimes raises eyebrows, it’s precisely this difference that allows me to see things differently. I pull ideas from tech, design, and even philosophy to guide my leadership at B:Side Capital. It’s not about following the expected path—it’s about finding intersections where others see none.
Building the Skill of Integrated Thinking
So, how can others develop the skills of integrated thinking? It’s not something you’re born with; it’s a skill that can be honed through practice and intention. Here are some practical steps to start cultivating integrated thinking in your life and work:
1. Expand Your Intellectual Horizons
The first step in integrated thinking is exposure to a variety of fields and disciplines. Reading broadly—outside of your core area of expertise—is crucial. This is where The Medici Effect comes into play. Johansson makes a compelling case that innovation happens when ideas from different fields and backgrounds collide. By engaging with different perspectives, you start to see connections that others might miss.
For example, if you’re an entrepreneur, don’t just study business books—look to art, science, history, and philosophy for inspiration. It’s no coincidence that some of the greatest business minds, like Jobs and Elon Musk, have drawn from unexpected areas to fuel their breakthroughs.
2. Cultivate Curiosity
Curiosity is the foundation of integrated thinking. By constantly asking "Why?" and "What if?" you force yourself to look beyond the obvious solutions. Curiosity pushes you to explore the unfamiliar and helps break down the silos that limit creativity.
In The Opposable Mind, Martin explains that integrative thinkers keep their options open and resist the urge to simplify complex problems. They maintain a sense of curiosity and openness, which allows them to dance through the complexity rather than shy away from it.
3. Practice Synthesizing Ideas
Synthesis is at the heart of integrated thinking. This isn’t about simply balancing two ideas or finding a compromise—it’s about creating a new idea from the tension between the two. Just like Lafley at P&G or Steve Jobs at Apple, you can use synthesis to develop superior outcomes. The key is to resist the temptation to settle for trade-offs. Instead, push yourself to create a solution that integrates the best elements of each option.
This practice is particularly useful in leadership and decision-making. Often, leaders are presented with conflicting options. Instead of choosing one or the other, the best leaders ask, “How can I combine these to create something better?” It’s not about settling for less—it’s about aiming for more.
4. Stay Open to Change
Integrative thinkers are flexible. They understand that the world isn’t static, and the best solutions often emerge when we stay open to new possibilities. In contrast to linear thinkers, who focus on narrowing down options, integrative thinkers thrive on the discomfort of keeping multiple possibilities in play until a breakthrough occurs.
The ability to use integrative thinking isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity in today’s complex, rapidly changing world. The leaders who can hold opposing ideas in tension without rushing to a decision will be the ones who drive the most innovative results.
Integrated Thinking at B:Side Capital
At B:Side Capital, we strive to embrace this approach. My background might not be typical for a CEO in the lending industry, but that’s exactly what makes our company different. In addition to our focus on commonly accepted industry practices, we also pull from other industries and disciplines to innovate, expand access, and push the frontier of what is possible.
By encouraging cross-disciplinary thinking, we’ve been able to develop creative solutions for small businesses that other lenders might not have considered. We look for inspiration in unexpected places, and that’s what gives us an edge. Integrated thinking allows us to offer not just financial support, but real value to our clients by helping them solve problems in ways they hadn’t considered before.
The Future Belongs to the Integrative Thinker
As the world becomes more interconnected, the ability to think across disciplines and integrate opposing ideas will only grow in importance. Whether you’re a leader, an entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to spark more creativity in your work, integrated thinking is a powerful tool.
Innovation doesn’t happen by following the same well-trodden paths. It happens at the intersection of ideas. And it’s at those intersections that we discover the breakthroughs that propel us forward.
The power of integrated thinking lies in its ability to go beyond conventional approaches and solve problems others didn’t even know existed. It’s not about playing it safe or sticking to what you know—it’s about embracing new perspectives, challenging assumptions, and having the courage to combine ideas from completely different worlds. That’s where real progress is made.
For those willing to step outside the lines, the possibilities are endless