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doesn’t reliably result in ideas that can be practically implemented.

While thinking outside the box offers the allure of freedom without constraint, thinking inside the box gives you structure and an approach to thoughtful expansion, providing a foundational springboard. Leaders conditioned to an “outside-the-box thinking” mentality may find this logic counterintuitive. But real-world results of using their long-held ideal to enhance creativity and performance fall short. Our research shows that defining the box is fundamental to sustained success for the leader and the organization: it tells leaders where to lead from and people in an organization where they belong. The definition is important. It is a similar principle to how we teach children to color within the lines and play in the sandbox with others.

Truly, most successful leaders and organizations operate from within their defined box, because it provides the leader the control necessary to purposefully navigate the inherent change in an environment and carefully connect employees to the things that matter most. Leaders that understand the intricacies of their box are able to unlock the organizational DNA that makes possible enduring, sustainable replication and growth.

When you work within the box, your playing field is better defined and you have greater understanding of specifics and their possible impact. This improved clarity increases the empathy and connectivity in the box. The box perspective is critical not only for the leader when defining the parameters of the organization but also for the employees as they work to understand the business goals and elements that directly impact them. Further, the box provides a critical context for the board and leader when working together to create commonality around the expectations of the company.

I pride myself for being an innovator; however, admittedly, I don’t always innovate with discipline. I am at my best and my solutions are best when I have the focus to stay within my defined boundaries pushing innovation to the far reaches of the box. So, as you begin to think about your box, think not about where you fit, either inside or outside. Instead, ask the right question: Is your box sized appropriately for you? Then the next question, that of fit, becomes much easier to answer.

One of the most impactful pieces of art in our offices is a frame with many old and used paint cans, all different sizes, shapes, and colors, each bashed up in their own way. Now, many people would say this is trash—and without the frame and structure, that’s exactly what it is. But within the frame—the box—the cans tell a brilliant story that encapsulates not only our work but the concept of belonging. Each unique can is united by what they have in common. While the brilliance of the art may appear to be the uniqueness of the cans, they are nothing without the value of the frame holding them together to create art.

The powerful point is that the box is of your own making. There are no rules or regulations with the box, and no size requirement—only you can determine the right box for your leadership. You get to construct one that is big enough for your wildest performance objectives, while allowing enough focus to achieve the goals you establish. And understand that while the sides of the box exist, they can be permeable (letting things flow in and out) and flexible (expanding or contracting when necessary)—but once you let something inside, it interacts with the whole. Think of the three rings of the circus operating under the big-top tent. Everything happens within a defined ecosphere of your choosing and creation. How you define your box, and how willing you are to push the parameters inside it, are critical to sustaining your long-term performance.

Building Your Box

The most successful leaders we work with create their framework by using the Box of Belonging as their mental model and building its sides through the construct of the most important leadership behaviors. This structure gives them and other leaders they encounter the best understanding from which to lead and, more importantly, gives their workforce and followers a

Instructions: In this exercise, you’ll take a look in the mirror. We want you to reflect on each of the leadership competencies—the personal, social, adaptable, and intentional sides of the box—and use the questions below to conduct a thorough self-reflection. This will help you begin to understand yourself as a leader and your impact on others.