The need for innovation -- Characteristics of the lateral leader -- The innovation test -- Laying the foundations for change -- Making the vision real -- Challenge your assumptions -- Ask searching questions -- Take a different view -- Combine the unusual -- Adapt, adopt, improve -- Break the rules -- Analyse first -- Increase the yield -- Implement -- Welcome failure -- Use the team -- Organizing for innovation -- Common mistakes: 12 great ways to crush creativity -- Summary -- The lateral leadership course -- Appendix 1 Tools and techniques -- A. Brainstorming -- B. Random word -- C. Restate the problem -- D. Similies -- E. Reverse the problem -- F. Break the rules -- G. The worst solution -- H. Idea cards -- I. Found objects -- J. Pass the parcel -- K. Roll the dice -- L. Successive integration -- M. The path to the ideal -- N. Lateral thinking puzzles -- O. The ideal competitor -- P. What if? -- Q. Six serving men -- R. Remote architects -- S. Six thinking hats -- T. Rapid-fire storytelling -- U. Spending 10 -- V. What's on television tonight? -- W. Scamper -- X. Transformers -- Y. Personalities -- Z. The ideas board -- Appendix 2 Answers to lateral thinking puzzles -- References and recommended reading.