Innovation strategist Saleema Vellani sat down with me this week to discuss design thinking, a creative process that focuses on empathy as a way to better understand a problem before working to develop its solution. Put more simply, it is the process of innovating solutions by first shifting our own mindset.

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we’ve seen how challenging it is for people to change their thinking in order to change their behavior. For some organizations, the idea of moving past the status quo to a more inclusive workplace may seem insurmountable, especially with the negative stigma that sometimes goes along with “required diversity training.” Saleema and I discuss how interactive design thinking workshops are a fun and creative way to get teams thinking differently about innovation by changing their individual approaches to problem solving.

A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Saleema believes that true innovation has to start with the individual. In her upcoming book “Innovation Starts with “I”, she explains that innovation is more than cutting-edge technology and out-of-the-box thinking–it requires the cultivation of a self-awareness that empowers individuals to unleash their inner entrepreneur and truly make an impact. To learn more about how design thinking is just one of many tools that lead to sustainable innovation, I share how you can pre-order Saleema’s book, which is scheduled for release this December.