There’s an art to leading a brainstorm, and it doesn’t start with “Let’s think outside the box.” If you have to say that, you’re probably already trapped inside it.
The best brainstorms? They have structure, but they’re loose enough to breathe. A little like jazz—everyone’s riffing, but there’s an unspoken rhythm holding it together.
If you want to lead a brainstorm that actually produces creative, actionable ideas, here’s how to do it right.
Set the Stage with Purpose
Before you even step into the room (or virtual space), get clear on your purpose. The worst thing you can do is throw people into an unstructured storm of ideas without a focus. What’s the goal? Are you coming up with a new product? A campaign? A way to revitalize your brand? Get specific.
Adam Morgan, author of Eating the Big Fish, talks about the power of challenger brands to question the status quo. That’s where the magic happens. Your brainstorm needs that same mentality. Frame the problem as something that can (and should) be challenged. But be precise. Vague, unfocused problems lead to vague, unfocused solutions.
Set Ground Rules Without Killing the Vibe
Brainstorms can go off the rails fast. Some people dominate, others sit silently, and suddenly you’re talking about something that has nothing to do with the task at hand. The trick is to create a framework for freedom. Sounds contradictory, right? It’s not.
Encourage free-thinking, but within boundaries. Here are some guidelines I always give:
- No idea is too wild. Let the extreme stuff flow—it often leads to gold.
- Keep it brief. No five-minute monologues. Make a point, then let someone else build on it.
- Challenge ideas respectfully. Disagreement sparks creativity, but don’t make it personal.
- Have a time limit. Get what you need out of the session before it turns into a therapy circle.
Start Small, Then Build
The best ideas often come when you start with something small and build from there. Rather than asking the group for fully formed ideas right off the bat, break it down. Start with “What’s one word that describes what we’re trying to do?” or “What’s the worst idea we could come up with?”—a little reverse psychology gets the gears turning.
Let the room play with fragments and concepts. Let people react, shape, and add. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s raw material that you’ll shape later. As Earls puts it, good ideas come from “thinking wrong”—letting go of linear expectations and embracing unpredictability.
Embrace Silence and Awkwardness
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: silence can be a brainstorm’s best friend. People need time to think, and it’s tempting to fill every quiet moment with chatter. Don’t. The best ideas often come in those awkward, silent moments when someone’s chewing on a thought.
Give space. Encourage everyone to pause and reflect before they speak. The most thoughtful insights tend to come when people aren’t pressured to spit something out just to fill the air.
Tools, Not Crutches
Whiteboards, sticky notes, and mind maps can help structure a brainstorm—but don’t rely on them too heavily. These tools are there to support the conversation, not to dominate it. If everyone’s too focused on filling the board, they’ll forget to think. Use them to capture ideas quickly, but keep the energy in the room.
Conclude with Clarity
By the end of the brainstorm, things should be messy—in the best way. Ideas should be all over the place. That’s a good thing. But here’s where you take control again. Before everyone leaves, recap the best ideas that came out of the session. Highlight what needs to be explored further and set the next steps.
Creativity without action is just daydreaming. Leave the group knowing exactly what happens next, whether it’s another meeting, individual work, or immediate implementation.
Empathy, Not Ego
A good brainstorm leader isn’t there to show off their own ideas. You’re there to guide the room, make space for every voice, and challenge the team to think beyond the obvious. You’re a facilitator. And if you do it right, the ideas that come out of your session will be more collaborative, more thoughtful, and way more exciting than anything you could have come up with on your own.
If you’re going to lead, lead by listening first. That’s where the real innovation happens.
