Diana Kander: Simple Questions to Unlock Innovation

Diana Kander, a New York Times best-selling author and renowned innovation strategist, brought energy and sharp insights to Oslo Business Forum with a simple but powerful message: in a world defined by uncertainty, leaders who ask better questions will unlock the path to growth.

How to Innovate at Snoop-level Speed
To illustrate, she contrasted two unlikely icons: Snoop Dogg and Vanilla Ice. Decades ago, Vanilla Ice outsold Snoop; yet, today, Snoop is more relevant than ever. He’s become an entrepreneur and investor spanning generations, industries, and even the metaverse. The question for leaders is: On a scale from Vanilla Ice to Snoop Dogg, how fast are we innovating?

According to Kander, our growth is slowed by our own success. Once we find what works, we lock it in and stop looking for better ways to do it. What leaders need isn’t to-do lists, but space.

Curiosity is that space. It’s the gap between what we know today and what we want to discover. It’s where growth and innovation live. Diana showed leaders how to create that space by shifting from being the expert to being the innovator. 


"At the end of the day, you'll always find the thing you're looking for."

Diana Kander: Innovation Strategist & Curiosity-Driven Growth Expert at OBF 2025, September 25. 

How to Shift from Expert to Innovator
The shift to innovation happens in three simple steps:

1. Kill the Zombies
In business, we often evaluate what we do by the value created versus the effort required. But we sometimes fall into the trap of assuming everything we do at work creates value. We work hard and mean well, but that’s not always the case. 

Anything that takes more effort to create than the value it produces is a zombie. Consider the projects, rules, processes, and meetings we engage with every day. Any use of time and resources that doesn’t produce value is non-essential. The key to innovation is to figure out the non-essentials that are weakening the value we create. 

Ask “what should we stop,” not “what should we add.”

2. Reimagine What’s Possible
When business leaders think of innovation, a natural question to ask is “How can we improve?” This places us in a cycle of doing what we’ve already done just a little bit better.

"Innovation isn’t something that we do. It’s how we do everything."

The more innovative question is “What does version 2.0 look like?” When we start with a blank sheet of paper, we can reimagine what’s possible. Diana implored leaders to put this practice to the test not just on processes, but on themselves. She asked, “How can you break down this version of yourself as a leader to improve?” 

Ask “what’s next,” not “how can we improve.”

3. Create a Pit Crew
Diana shared an example from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, where operational issues were contributing to increased patient mortality rates. They tried for nearly a decade to resolve the issues without success. Eventually, they determined it was necessary to think outside the box. 

So, the hospital hired the Ferrari Formula One pit crew to review everything they were doing. They quickly saw that no one was in charge, there was no order. They clearly laid out the problems, fixed them, and reduced errors at the hospital by 66%. The pit crew’s work led to the creation of a standard that is now used worldwide. 

Ask “who can help me do this,” not “how can I do this.”

Never Goal Alone
We create the “boxes” we think inside, and we can’t escape them alone. Every initiative is stronger with a pit crew. Diana urged leaders to embrace a “better is possible” mindset by remembering that today is day one. There is endless potential ahead.


"Change is inevitable, but our growth is optional."


“Change is inevitable, but our growth is optional,” she reminded the audience. Vanilla Ice is proof that evolution isn’t automatic. Snoop-level innovation comes from curiosity, courage, and collaboration.

Key Points

• Curiosity is the antidote to stagnation. Sometimes our growth is slowed by our own success.
• Replace “to-do lists” with space. Growth lies in the gap between what we know today and what we want to discover.  Create room to explore, innovate, and find better ways forward.
• Kill the zombies. Eliminate non-essential activities that drain more value than they deliver.
• Reimagine what’s possible. Ask “What’s next?” instead of “How can we improve?”
• Create a pit crew. Seek out the support of others to gain unconventional perspectives and break out of the box.
• Growth isn’t automatic. Leaders must choose to pursue it.

Questions to Consider

• What “zombie” process, rule, or project is draining your organization’s energy?
• If you started with a blank sheet of paper, what would version 2.0 of your business—or your leadership—look like?
• Who could you bring into your “pit crew” to help you see blind spots and spark innovation?

Join Oslo Business Forum 2026: The Human Edge now! The Human Edge is about unlocking the strengths that no machine can replicate; creativity, courage, trust, and resilience to thrive.

Don't get left out - join Northern Europe's greatest leadership event now!