Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

From The Leader's Kitbag by Ben Morton

March 11, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

This episode explores the origins of good ideas and the importance of reflective thinking in leadership.

Where do your best ideas happen? For many of us, they don’t appear when we’re sat at our desk trying to force a solution. Instead, they arrive when we’re walking, driving, swimming, or doing something routine. In this episode of The Leader’s Kitbag, I explore why that happens and what neuroscience can teach us about thinking more effectively as leaders. I explain the difference between two key brain networks - the Central Executive Network and the Default Mode Network - and why both are essential if we want to lead well. The challenge is that modern leadership often traps us in constant task mode: meetings, emails, decisions, and deadlines. When that happens, we lose access to the reflective thinking that helps us gain perspective, process emotions, and connect ideas in new ways. And yet perspective is one of the most valuable things a leader can offer. This episode is a reminder that switching off isn’t indulgent - it’s essential. Because leaders aren’t just paid to do. In this episode, you will learn: Why your best ideas often appear when you’re not actively trying to solve the problem. The difference between the Central Executive Network (task-focused thinking) and the Default…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Morton

Topics covered

  • creativity
  • leadership
  • neuroscience
  • reflective thinking
  • brain networks

Keywords

  • Central Executive Network
  • Default Mode Network
  • leadership
  • creativity
  • reflective thinking
  • neuroscience
  • perspective

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Leader's Kitbag

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