The Roles of Never, I Know, and Impossible in Innovation

The Influence of Communication on Creativity and Belief

Innovation is dying… at least that is what the title of a May 2017 article said. I stumbled across it the other day and thought it would be an interesting read. It ties decreased innovation to increased specialization, stating that innovation increases with generalists in the mix. This is a great compliment for generalists like me. 

Based on what I have been reading in the news about our recent advancements in direct air carbon capture, artificial intelligence, and solid-state batteries, among our other things, I am hoping this article is now well out of date. 

But just in case it is not, I would like to throw an idea into the wind. 

I am proposing that for the good of humankind and innovation, we limit our use of three terms: 

• Never 

• I know 

• Impossible 

Especially if you are in a position of leadership or authority. 

When we use these terms, we are indicating to the people around us that: 

• our mind is made up. 

• our current situation, information, and viewpoint are fixed. 

• do not question us about it. 

• the topic is closed. 

The thing about life is that our viewpoint is constantly changing. Things we thought would never happen, do. And things we thought we would never do, we have done. Every day our circumstances change. We gain a little more perspective on who we are and what we believe. We are constantly evolving. 

Never say never. Never is a long time. 

Look at the beliefs that have shaped Western culture and the largest global religion. According to the Old Testament, people used to live to be 900 years old. A knowledgeable elder by today’s standards would have been the equivalent of a child in the eyes of the 900-year-old. When was the last time you agreed with your child when they said, “I know!”? Insert teenage eye roll

I once heard that the term “I know” was the most dangerous thing a person could say. At one point, society had determined they knew the world was flat. Anyone who disagreed was denounced and possibly hung for arguing otherwise. What other fantastic information could those intelligent people have contributed to the world had our ancestors not been so closed-minded and treated them so poorly? 

Today, our culture is inundated with voices claiming to have it all figured out. History shows us that each generation felt the same way, and yet each generation was missing key information, stalling progress and stifling innovation. 

Imagine being a fly on the wall in two or three hundred years from now. We’d see what we got wrong? Who did we condemn, outcast, and send to the gallows for questioning what we “know” today? What things will they make fun of us or call us archaic for? 

“Tell me something impossible.” A simple statement deployed in the Arsenault household. I tell my family, “It might be improbable, but it is unlikely to be impossible.” This messaging is meant to encourage open-mindedness, to believe there is a chance. To understand that things are only impossible until they are not. 

This is a key affliction within the human condition. If we can not do something or we can not readily observe someone or something doing it we assume it is impossible. We do not account for all of the things we have yet to learn. Knowing this, we can defend against it. 

Practical Tools for Better Communication

If we want to keep innovation alive, we need communication habits that invite curiosity rather than shut it down. One of the simplest tools to work on is our phrasing. We need to remove our assumptions and leave space for the other person’s thinking. Instead of “Why didn’t you…?” try “What did you notice?” Instead of “Here’s the right way,” try “What options do you see?” or “What outcomes are you aiming for, and how might you get there?” Open‑ended questions signal that you’re genuinely exploring, not guiding someone toward your preferred answer.

Pair this with an awareness of your own biases.

• Confirmation bias: seeking information that confirms your original thought.

• Availability bias: assuming something is more likely because examples come to mind easily, often because they were recent or emotionally charged (negativity bias can play an overpowering role here).

Asking open‑ended questions requires active listening skills. It takes practice. You will never be perfect at it. Mentally prepare yourself before the interaction—prime your brain to active listening and open-ended questions mode. When you’re thrust into a conversation unexpectedly and feel yourself steering, pause and ask yourself a simple internal question: “What am I assuming here?” This can reset your approach and prevent you from closing the conversation too early.

Your body language matters just as much as your words. A relaxed facial expression, mirroring the other person’s posture, a softer and slower pace of speech, and positioning your body so you’re facing them all communicate connection and psychological safety. These small adjustments compound into an environment where people feel permitted to think out loud, test ideas, and take intellectual risks.

Want more on communication and psych safety?

Speaking IN: Creating the Conditions for People to Share What They Know

This video offers another source of insight into communication, especially the way open-ended questions can create space for people to share what they see, know, and experience. The Speaking IN® approach connects directly to psychological safety and innovation by showing how better questions can invite stronger ideas, deeper learning, and more meaningful participation.

Watch Now!

The Power of Influence and Authority

Active listening becomes even more important when you hold positional authority. Leaders often underestimate how much weight their words carry, and often trigger cognitive biases in both parties. The curse of knowledge makes it easy to forget what it’s like not to know something, and to assume others understand as you do. Authority bias makes people more likely to accept your statements as correct simply because of your role.

A raised eyebrow, a dismissive “we tried that,” or an unintentional sigh can shut down a room faster than any formal policy. In those moments, your curse of knowledge and their authority bias collide in the most destructive way. Innovation doesn’t die because people lack ideas; it dies because people stop feeling safe to share them.

Influence is never neutral. It either expands possibility or collapses it. The most innovative leaders use their authority to open doors, not close them. They soften their language, ask more than they tell, and treat uncertainty as a shared frontier rather than a threat. Empathy may be considered a soft skill, but it is also a strategic one because people do their most creative thinking when they feel respected, safe, and unjudged. When leaders model curiosity, they give others permission to imagine boldly. When they model humility, they give others permission to challenge assumptions. And when they model empowerment, they create the conditions where improbable ideas can become real breakthroughs.

When I was young, I was told that alchemy was impossible. Humanity would not move faster than the speed of light. I believed it until recently. I stumbled across a paper highlighting a group of scientists who used a nuclear reaction to turn mercury into gold. We are now investigating warp drives with the belief that traveling at the speed of light is possible. 

Our language, spoken and non-verbal, impacts the people around us. We influence their thoughts and their actions, especially if we are in a position of authority. Remember to practice empathy, soften our language, and open their minds. In doing so, we will empower the next generation of innovators to imagine and theorize without fear. To make the implausible possible. History could recognize us as one of the few blips in humanity where we did not get in our own way; when progression and innovation thrived.