How a 'sci-fi' imagination and Hollywood-style creativity can help sluggish businesses tackle big problems

But business' challenges are not just about innovation. From cybersecurity breaches to the evolving pressures of globalization, organizations today face cultural, technological, and operational disruptions on a daily basis beyond anything they have experienced before. The magnitude and complexity of the problems they need to solve requires a similarly extraordinary level of creative thinking.

Hollywood-style creatives can help solve problems, too. Writers, for instance, conduct more research on a wider variety of topics than anyone can possibly imagine. They visualize thousands of plots and imagine countless character motivations each year. In their stories, they have to consider what people entirely unlike them would do, what the ramifications of those actions would be, and then what that might look like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

They must also be resourceful and quick-thinking while dealing with tight deadlines. When working on a TV series, for example, they have to pound out multiple drafts of a script every week, so they operate under constant pressure. These people are gifted, experienced, and trained imagination mavens accustomed to working within a time budget. Their unique experiences make them ideal for tackling unusual challenges with surprising, fresh ideas.

Hollywood embodies the Star Trek mantra: They boldly go where no one has gone before. Who wouldn't want a sci-fi writer at the table when envisioning a future with disruptive technology? Hollywood has already been influencing society and technology for decades. Let's bring them in to do it intentionally and consciously, rather than unintentionally. In a time when nothing short of revolutionary thinking is needed, the creative arts community may be our best secret weapon.

One way to bring in professional creative thinkers is to hold what I call a mixed table: three nights, three dinners, one conversation.

It's not as simple as it sounds.

In fact, a mixed table is an incredibly dynamic process during which a diverse group of people addresses an overarching question and subsets of that question, diving deeper and deeper to uncover more creative, innovative solutions and answers.

Why three nights? Because it has to take place over more than one night. You'd be doing yourself a disservice otherwise. There's just too much to unpack in one night. Sometimes, it takes three whole dinners of wheels turning and conversations flowing for people to really open up, stretch their minds, and reach a question no one first thought to ask. That singular question could lead to the most interesting insight of the entire process.

If you have subject matter experts, thought leaders, and those invaluable creative thinkers at your mixed table, you'll reach unforeseen outcomes and paths forward, armed with insights you wouldn't otherwise glean.

If you can't access Hollywood, the good news is you can find creativity anywhere. Creativity is like a muscle, and just like an athlete, using that muscle strengthens it. We all have creative potential, but if we don't make the most of it, the muscle atrophies. The key is finding people who use the muscle daily. The creative arts community is where you'll find the superstar athletes who have tapped into their creative potential and excel at it. Local artists in your community are excellent alternatives to creatives working in Hollywood.

Meet writers performing readings in your local bookstore. Connect with local theater directors and artists. If you see something creative that catches your eye, ask about it, for you never know who you might meet, and whose perspective might help you.

Very few problems in life are completely unsolvable. The solution exists, just maybe not in your sphere, or mine, or in the spheres of anyone else you've ever met. But it could exist out in the ether, a space that creatives tap into, a space that helps them boldly go where no one has gone before, and a space that today, now, can help you solve your greatest, most complex challenges.

John Rogers is the founder of RL Leaders, which solves complex challenges for public and private sector organizations. Former CEO of the nation's largest privately held transportation company, he has directed a national campaign around stem cells with Michael J Fox, actively contributed to the Department of Defense's war against terrorism, and provided high-impact solutions for charitable organizations such as the Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) and the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. He is the author of The Renaissance Campaign.