When Yoshi and his accountant looked at their financial projections for next year's Hanuman Festival, they felt no excitement and saw no real ambition. So they upped the numbers substantially, then said YES. Yes, we can imagine making this happen. 

The whole team enthusiastically agreed and, in fact, the festival did achieve the ambitious aims they had imagined. And it all began with the courage of imagination, the power of possibility.

As an Amare (love-powered) leader, fostering imagination is so important to your organization's well-being and innovation. Imagination enables you and your people to see beyond what is, to what could be. That gets people fired up and brings out their best. 

Everyone gets uplifted and connected, which fuels even more imagination.

• How do you put your imagination to work?
• If you can't imagine something, can you achieve it?
• Do you encourage your team to imagine what might be possible?
• 5 Amare Steps to Open Up Your Imagination

1. Release your mind. Your mind naturally constrains your thinking in its primitive attempt to keep you safe. Free up your imagination by telling your mind, "I am safe. Thanks for your help. I got this." Then go to town with your imagination.
2. Get quiet, then "what if". Turn off all forms or outer stimulation (TV, phone, etc.) for 15 whole minutes. Then imagine answers to three what if questions, like "What if we did X instead of Y?" or "What do you see that others don't see?" or "What if I led with love?"
3. Suspend disbelief. Do this mental trick you do when you enjoy movies like StarWars or Fantasia so you can wildly imagine what your organization could be and where it could go. Move from what is practical to what may be possible for five minutes a day.
4. Have fun. Do one simple thing each day this week that brings you joy, which can get your imagination juices flowing. Smile at a stranger, sing in the shower (loudly), stop being self-critical. Take a bath, take time in nature, take a nap. Now imagine ten more. Write down the one thing you commit to do each day.
5. Imagine together. Do team activities that foster imagination without judgment, like coming up with ten unexpected ways your product or service could be used (the sillier the better). Go for quantity initially, not quality.

Imagination is the source of creativity, inspiration and innovation. Be a leader that is willing to imagine all kinds of possibilities and encourage your people to follow suit with their unique imaginations.

Inc