If Einstein were alive today,
even he’d be stumped by the chaos
One of the biggest killers of innovation? The phrase “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
By Carolyn Smith, APR, TRA
If Einstein were alive today, even he’d be scratching his head at the sheer level of chaos we’re swimming in. Inflation, the economy, market conditions. Supply chains falling apart at the worst possible moments. A talent shortage that makes hiring feel like trying to find a match on a dating app. And AI—part miracle, part ticking time bomb—reshaping industries faster than anyone can keep up.
The thinking that got us here isn’t going to get us out. If you’re still trying to solve today’s problems with yesterday’s playbook, you’re just spinning your wheels.
It’s not about working harder or stressing more, it’s about flipping the script entirely. The agencies that will win in this environment are the ones bold enough to break the rules, rewrite the playbook, and give their teams the freedom to experiment, take risks, and own their work. This is because real innovation doesn’t happen in environments weighed down by bureaucracy and rigid processes. It happens when people are empowered to think, try, and even fail—without fear of punishment.
Let’s look at some strategies:
Stop telling. Start asking. Most agency leaders are wired to solve the problem. But the best leaders? They know that’s not sustainable. Instead of handing your team the answer, ask them how they would solve it. When your team feels that they have a stake in the solution, they take ownership. And ownership breeds innovation.
Anyone can spot a wrong answer. But it takes a skilled leader to help their team uncover the right questions. The more you frame challenges around questions—not directives—the more your team will rise to the occasion.
Want to get your team thinking bigger and solving problems faster? Start asking these smart questions to unleash innovation:
- What’s everyone thinking but afraid to say?
- If this idea tanks in a year, what will be the reason?
- If someone were going to put us out of business, how would they do it?
- What would it look like if we went 10x bigger?
- Take your biggest concern and ask “why” five times.
- Are we preserving a problem to justify our solution—or are we actually solving it?
- If we started from scratch, what would we do differently?
These questions shift the focus from playing defense to playing offense. They challenge your team to think bigger, push boundaries, and create real solutions.
It’s like the old saying: Give someone a fish, and they eat for a day; teach them to fish, and they eat for a lifetime. In business, giving your team the freedom to solve problems on their own terms creates lasting confidence and innovation. And in a world this unpredictable, that’s the edge you need.
Hire for capability—then focus on outcomes. Too many agency leaders confuse activity with productivity. Just because your team is clocking long hours doesn’t mean they’re driving results. Sitting at a desk from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. isn’t a success metric—it’s a sign you might be focusing on the wrong things.
The best leaders don’t micromanage—they hire smart, capable people and let them figure out how to solve problems their own way. The real shift happens when you stop focusing on how the work gets done and start measuring outcomes.
Too many insurance and risk management firms are slowing themselves down with red tape. Endless approval layers. Bureaucratic bottlenecks. Leadership that feels the need to oversee every little decision. That’s not leadership—that’s control. And it’s killing creativity and morale.
Want to see your team move faster and think bigger? Hire for capability and alignment with your vision. Then step back and let them figure out how to deliver results. Set clear objectives, make the outcomes non-negotiable, but let your team decide how to get there. When people feel trusted, they take more initiative. And they care more about the results. That’s when innovation happens.
Question the way things have always been done. One of the biggest killers of innovation? The phrase “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
That mindset is why so many insurance and risk management firms are stuck in neutral. Outdated workflows. Redundant approvals. Unnecessary steps that slow everything down.
Some of the smartest problem-solvers aren’t the ones working harder—they’re the ones working smarter. They’re the ones asking, “Why are we doing it this way?” and “What if we skipped this step?” or “Could this be automated?” That’s the thinking that leads to game-changing innovation.
Your job as a leader? Give your team permission to challenge the status quo. Encourage them to cut out the fluff, rethink how work gets done, and test new approaches. When you create a culture where efficiency and simplicity are valued, you unleash massive potential.
Next, if you want to drive innovation, stop giving your interns busywork. Hand them the hard problems. Encourage them to think big and take risks. You see, some of the best ideas don’t come from your senior staff—they come from the interns. Why? Because they don’t know the “right” way to do things yet. They’re not burdened by outdated industry norms or stuck in the mindset of “this is how it’s always been done.” They come in with fresh eyes. That’s exactly the perspective you need.
The upside? You’ll not only get fresh ideas—you’ll also build a talent pipeline filled with people who know how to deliver under pressure.
And here’s the kicker: Small changes compound. Streamlining a process by 10% doesn’t just save time—it creates mental space for your team to focus on what really matters: serving clients, closing deals, and building stronger relationships. That’s how you build a firm that thrives in today’s environment.
Embrace controlled chaos. Real innovation doesn’t happen in perfectly controlled environments. If you’re trying to keep everything locked down, following rigid rules and approval chains, you’re choking out creativity before it even has a chance to breathe. Some leaders are terrified of chaos—but the smartest ones? They lean into it because they know that controlled chaos is where breakthroughs happen.
Beyond Insurance Global Network member Jim Hartstein at The Insurance Market says, “Some of our agency’s most innovative moments have come during difficult times. I am a firm believer that all shifts in the market create opportunities. As our leaders, it is our responsibility to see the gifts that the shift has provided and use those opportunities to the best of our ability.”
Want to see your team come alive? Take a page from improv comedy. The “yes, and” rule isn’t just for laughs—it’s a creativity supercharger. When someone throws out an idea, you don’t shoot it down—you build on it. That’s how you create an environment where creativity flows freely.
Set clear metrics—then get out of the way. Here’s the trap most leaders fall into: They either micromanage the process or stay so hands-off that their team is working without direction. The sweet spot? Clarity.
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room—you need to be the one asking the smartest questions. You don’t need to know the details of every project—you need to set the right benchmarks and hold your team accountable for outcomes.
That’s why you need clear performance metrics. Not just generic KPIs, but a shared language that everyone understands. Metrics give your team a framework to innovate within. They create alignment without suffocating creativity.
Hartstein says, “In our agency, we focus on 1) hiring wildly talented team members, 2) providing those team members with guiderails, support, and resources they need to make informed decisions, and 3) giving our team the autonomy to make great choices. Our team is already insanely talented; we want them to share those talents with all our clients and carrier partners!”
When everyone knows what success looks like, your team feels trusted to make decisions. They know where the finish line is, but they get to decide how to get there. That’s when you see people step up, own their work, and deliver at a higher level.
The freedom to innovate. At the end of the day, the agencies that win aren’t the ones that play it safe—they’re the ones that empower their people to take smart risks. Creativity, innovation, and big wins don’t come from following the status quo. They come from challenging it.
When you create an environment where people are free to think, test, and even fail without fear, you unlock potential you didn’t even know existed. The best ideas don’t emerge from rigid processes—they emerge from the freedom to explore and the clarity of knowing what success looks like.
Your job as a leader? Set the vision, establish clear goals, and then get out of the way. Trust your team to figure out how to make it happen.
The world doesn’t move forward by following the rules—it moves forward because someone had the guts to break them.
The author
Carolyn Smith, APR, TRA, chief training officer for Beyond Insurance, creates and delivers transformative programs, including the Trusted Risk Advisor certification, BIGN Producer Boot Camp, and Quest for Success, that have positively impacted the lives and careers of countless professionals. These programs help industry professionals build a career that they love and achieve the success they deserve.
