Becoming a culturally intelligent innovators starts with something as basic as exercising self-control.

When you jump on a city bus or roam the streets off the major thoroughfares you'll quickly learn that we have as many differences as similarities. And therein lie the greatest opportunities for innovation - our different ways of viewing the world and coming up with solutions!

The most important part of aligning various expectations is to clearly describe the problem you are trying to solve and identify at least three different ways diverse users experience this problem. The more diverse your team, the better you'll be at doing this.

The best way to improve perspective taking is to see users up close.

Natural light consistently fosters innovation, as does the avoidance of disturbances from noise and extreme temperatures.

May we all beware lest our innovative ideas appear very cliche before we even blink.

I do think stories are one of the best tools for communicating across any number of cultures. But I also think there are wildly successful leaders who are introverted, disciplined, lead via spreadsheets and goals, and might not "appear" to be a great leader...but in retrospect, made a massive impact.