Why It Matters
Driving innovation is a critical differentiator for companies navigating digital transformation, and understanding how to embed it into everyday workflows can accelerate growth and competitiveness. This episode offers actionable guidance for data leaders and business executives seeking to turn data insights into tangible, market‑ready innovations, making it especially relevant as organizations grapple with rapid technological change.
Key Takeaways
- •AI demands new skills and mindset for competitive differentiation.
- •Storyboarding translates data into empathetic narratives that drive change.
- •Six-stage MindShift guides innovation from signals to outcomes.
- •Only 10% of people are truly self‑aware, limiting openness.
- •Airbnb used storyboards to align hosts, guests, and leadership vision.
Pulse Analysis
In today’s rapid AI wave, businesses can no longer rely on incremental iteration alone. Generative AI reshapes workflows, forcing leaders to adopt a growth mindset that treats innovation as a skill set, not a rare talent. Brian Solis emphasizes that true differentiation comes from pairing AI capabilities with human curiosity, self‑awareness, and a willingness to see oneself as part of a larger story. This perspective explains why organizations must invest in both technical training and cultural change to stay ahead of competitors.
Storytelling emerges as the bridge between raw data and actionable insight. Solis cites his collaboration with Pixar storyboard artist Nick Sung, showing how visual narratives helped Airbnb translate complex host‑guest dynamics into relatable, emotional arcs. By mapping data points onto characters and journeys, teams create empathy‑driven prototypes that resonate with executives, investors, and frontline staff. The storyboard process tests believability, refines the message, and ultimately aligns the entire organization around a shared vision of value creation.
The six‑stage MindShift framework—receive, perceive, weave, conceive, believe, achieve—operationalizes this mindset shift. It starts with self‑awareness, a rare trait (only about 10% truly possess it), and moves through systematic signal collection, empathetic interpretation, and iterative design. Leaders who apply the framework can turn AI‑generated insights into compelling narratives that inspire action and scale innovation. For business audiences, the takeaway is clear: combine data‑driven AI tools with disciplined storytelling and a structured mindset to unlock sustainable, differentiated growth.
Episode Description
AI moves fast, and the news cycle can feel like a fire hose. New tools like agents and digital twins promise to help, but they also add more choices and noise. In day-to-day work, the challenge is less about knowing every breakthrough and more about deciding what matters, then making time to act. How do you cut meetings down, say no without friction, and still ship real work? How do you open your mind to new ideas while avoiding hype? And when you do spot a signal, how do you turn it into action across teams, stakeholders, and shifting priorities.
As the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, Brian Solis drives vision and strategy for future-focused innovation. He has three decades of experience as a technology leader, and Forbes called him "one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time". Previously, Brian was VP of Global Innovation at Salesforce. He has written nine books, including the best selling "Mindshift". Brian is an author of the ServiceNow Enterprise AI Maturity Index 2025 Report.
In the episode, Richie and Brian explore the challenges of staying updated with AI advancements, the importance of mindset shifts for innovation, the role of storytelling in driving change, and practical strategies for managing information overload, fostering organizational transformation, and much more.
Links Mentioned in the Show:
Brian’s Book: Mindshift
ServiceNow
Connect with Brian
AI-Native Course: Intro to AI for Work
Related Episode: The New Paradigm for Enterprise AI Governance with Blake Brannon, Chief Innovation Officer at OneTrust
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Show Notes
DataFramed podcast for Data Scientists | DataCamp
Welcome to DataFramed, a weekly podcast where we explore how technology and data are changing the world around us. On this show, we invite data leaders and practitioners at the forefront of the data revolution to share their insights and experiences into how they lead the charge in this era of data. Whether you're a beginner looking to gain career insights into a career in data, a practitioner needing to stay up‑to‑date on the latest data tools and trends, or a leader looking to transform how your organization uses data, there's something here for everyone.
Join co‑hosts Adel Nehme and Richie Cotton as they delve into the stories and ideas that are shaping the future of data. Subscribe to the show and tune in to the latest episode on the feed below.
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