By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to help spark your new product creativity. Reading time: 3:38.

The vice president walked into his staff meeting late as usual. Wearing a gas mask.

Eyes widened and jaws dropped around the table. His staff couldn’t make sense of what they were seeing.

“No, I’m not a terrorist and I ‘m not going to blow the place up,” he laughed while taking the gas mask off his face.

You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief among the staff, their hearts still pounding faster than normal, their breathing still accelerated from the visual shock.

“But maybe this gas mask can spark our creative discussion this morning on new product ideas,” the vice president added in ramping up his teaching point.

He explained that Kleenex, the $1.2 billion facial tissue and category leader, initially was developed as a filter for a gas mask during World War I. Then as a facial cream remover in 1924. And finally as a facial tissue that today catches running noses in 140 countries! Continue reading →