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Part 4: The expert trap in innovation and how to escape it: Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin



Person sitting cross-legged in a library reading a yellow book, with a quote about knowledge overlaid on bookshelves.


The world's most successful automobile manufacturer is sounding the alarm. Despite record sales, Toyota warns: "If nothing changes, we will not survive."

How can it be that the very company that has perfected lean management and efficiency is now fighting for survival?

The paradox behind this is highly relevant for leaders: it's not a lack of expertise that becomes a problem, but rather too much of it. This is precisely where what I call the expert trap in innovation begins.


The more experience, routines, and proven methods a company has built up, the greater the risk that this very expertise becomes an invisible barrier, narrowing its perspective instead of broadening it. Toyota has thus far thrived on a business model that no longer works. But because it has worked so well, they find it so difficult to let go. We in Germany are very familiar with this problem, and we see how quickly time runs out and standards achieved at short notice are lost. Preventing precisely this is the strength and added value of innovation managers.




Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin against the expert trap in innovation


Today, in part 4 of the Japanese Innovation Map ( link to the other parts ) I will focus on two principles that show how we can maintain an open, learning mindset despite growing expertise: Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin .



Letting go of what we think we know in order to see new things with an open mind – that is the art!


Slide LEARNING: How do we develop innovative capacity? Three learning stages and a tip: Patience instead of impulsive actions.
"Learning" cluster of the Japanese Innovation Map (German)


Shu Ha Ri – The three steps to true mastery


Shu Ha Ri is an ancient principle from Japanese martial arts that describes the path to true mastery. It was primarily shaped by masters like Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido) and later applied to the fields of business, agile methodologies, and innovation management.

The term is composed of three Japanese characters:

  • Shu (守): "Following" or "preserving." In this first phase, you learn the rules, techniques, and principles with discipline and precision. You consciously imitate the master, build a strong foundation, and show respect for what has proven successful. It is the phase of fundamentals and humility.

  • Ha (破): "Breaking" or "disassembling." Here you begin to critically question and, in some cases, adapt the rules. You understand not only the "what" but also the "why." Creativity and individual expressions emerge.

  • Ri (離): "Letting go" or "Leaving." At this highest level, you develop your own variations. You act from deep inner understanding, freely, naturally, and appropriately to the situation. Technique becomes intuition.



A person in blue trousers and black boots is climbing up a stony forest path.
Shu Ha Ri: Three important steps *


Shu Ha Ri in Innovation Management


Shu Ha Ri is not a one-time process that one completes, but a lifelong spiral. It teaches us respect for what exists, the courage to question, and the capacity for free, creative action. Especially in a time when many leaders demand quick results, Shu Ha Ri preserves the necessity of patience, maturity, and a step-by-step approach instead of hectic, impulsive actions.

For you as an innovation manager, this means:

In the Shu phase, you initially approach a new idea with discipline, following established processes and using proven templates and methods to create a solid foundation. In the Ha phase , you consciously begin to question and adapt the rules by changing the usual workshop flow, recombining methods, or omitting parts. Finally, in the Ri phase, you act intuitively and freely. You use familiar elements as needed, combine them freely, and reinvent approaches.

With Shu Ha Ri you avoid both blind activism and clinging to outdated routines.



Shoshin – The Beginner's Mind


Shoshin (初心) is a central concept in Zen Buddhism and was popularized in the West primarily through the Japanese Zen master Shunryu Suzuki in his book "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" (1970). Literally, it means "beginner's mind" or "original mind".

It describes the inner attitude of looking at every situation, task, or idea as openly, curiously, and free from prejudice as an absolute beginner would, even and especially when one already possesses a great deal of experience and expertise.


A striking example is Phil Jackson, the legendary NBA coach of the Chicago Bulls. He consciously integrated Shoshin into his coaching. Instead of fixating the team on rigid plays and fixed strategies, he trained the players to approach every game situation with a fresh perspective and high level of presence. This beginner's mindset was an essential component of the Bulls' great success in the 1990s.

Even in current literature, such as Ali Abdaal's bestseller "Feel Good Productivity", Shoshin is highlighted as an important key to creative and sustainable performance.



An older man sits at the edge of the playing field with a worn football, while children in blue jerseys play on a sunny pitch.
Shoshin: Watch with the fresh perspective of a beginner *

Shoshin in Innovation Management


While experience can sometimes lead to hasty judgments and ingrained thought patterns, Shoshin preserves the capacity for genuine wonder and unbiased perception. It protects against the dangerous attitude of "I already know that." or "That's how we've always done it."

For you as an innovation manager, Shoshin can practically mean that you consciously work with people whose thinking and working style differs greatly from your own, or that you specifically seek out methods and perspectives that you have never tried before.


The crucial question for experienced innovation managers is no longer how much we know – but how well we are able to let go of our knowledge again and again in order to see new things with open eyes.

Stronger together: Combination with Western methods


Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin become even more effective when we consciously combine them with established Western methods. This results not in a mere addition, but in a genuine deepening of understanding.


Shu Ha Ri + Iterative Prototyping & After Action Reviews


Iterative Prototyping is a key method from Design Thinking and Lean Startup and describes the cyclical process of building simple versions of an idea early on, testing them with users, and continuously improving them in several iterations based on feedback. It promotes rapid learning through concrete experiments instead of lengthy theoretical planning.

After Action Reviews (AAR) was originally developed by the US military and later adopted in agile and lean environments. Debriefing is a structured reflection process following a project or sprint, in which the team discusses what went well, what didn't, and what lessons were learned.


These two methods are particularly well suited to Shi Ha Ri for these essential reasons:


  • Iterative prototyping follows the natural learning logic of Shu Ha Ri: In the Shu phase, you learn to apply the method in a disciplined and structured way. In the Ha phase, you consciously begin to break the rules and design prototypes unconventionally. In the Ri phase, you use prototyping intuitively and freely – entirely without a rigid framework.

  • After Action Reviews (AARs) become significantly more mature through Shu Ha Ri: The structured reflection (Shu) develops into the critical further development of the process (Ha) and finally into a deep, intuitive learning practice (Ri).

In combination, they help you to advance new ideas and projects not only quickly, but with genuine learning maturity without superficial "trial and error".


Shoshin + How Might We & SCAMPER


The " How Might We " question (HMW for short) is a key questioning technique from IDEO's Design Thinking. Instead of asking problem-oriented questions like "How do we solve the problem?", open, optimistic questions such as "How could we (handle xy)...?" are formulated to expand the creative space.

SCAMPER is a proven creativity technique developed by Bob Eberle in 1970. It stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse, and serves the systematic development or modification of existing ideas.


These two methods are particularly well suited to Shoshin for these essential reasons:


  • How Might We (HMW) thrives on openness and curiosity, precisely the attitude that Shoshin embodies. Instead of focusing on the problem and asking "How do we solve this?", the HMW question opens up space for new perspectives. Shoshin helps you ask this question with a truly unbiased mind and the wonder of a beginner.

  • SCAMPER is a systematic creativity technique. Shoshin makes it significantly more effective because you don't look at familiar products, processes, or ideas with the experienced "we've already tried that" perspective, but with the fresh curiosity of a beginner who doesn't discard or pre-evaluate any ideas.

Combined, these methods benefit from the fresh perspective of a beginner: they foster unbiased creativity and help you, even as an experienced innovation manager, not to be discouraged by expectations and (perhaps false) assumptions. You discover opportunities that experienced teams often overlook.



How-to: Practical application in four examples



Cherry blossom branches in a vase in the foreground, behind them, blurred, people at a table in front of a poster of a Japanese innovation map.
Praxisworkshop mit der japanischen Innovationslandkarte *

  1. Shu-Ha-Ri reflection after each prototyping cycle: Which phase have you just gone through? What can you now consciously break or let go of?

  2. Shoshin's question before every brainstorming session: "If I were seeing this for the first time – what would I discover?"

  3. Conscious change of method : Work consciously with a method that is unfamiliar to you for one week.

  4. After Action Review with Shoshin : Ask the question: "What would we have seen if we had watched it as complete beginners?"



Food for thought


The Japanese innovation map repeatedly shows us that innovation needs not only new ideas, but also the open-minded inner attitude with which we approach them.

Dare to be amazed, dare to ask beginner’s questions, and dare to forget what you only think you know!

Which of the two principles – Shu Ha Ri or Shoshin – appeals to you most right now? I look forward to your thoughts in the comments.


Frequently Asked Questions about Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin


Ask: Why are Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin particularly important for experienced innovation managers?

Answer: The more experience we have, the more prone we are to falling into the expert trap. Our expertise becomes an invisible barrier, narrowing our perspective instead of broadening it. We automatically discard ideas or make assumptions by generalizing from the past. Shu Ha Ri fosters a healthy, gradual development of the ability to work with existing systems, while Shoshin maintains mental freshness and openness. Together, they prevent a narrowing of perspective and enable unbiased innovation.

Ask: For which projects are Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin particularly suitable?

Answer: Particularly well-suited for complex innovation and transformation projects where the demands on experience are high and change is simultaneously necessary. Less relevant for very simple, standardized tasks.


Further links & sources


If you would like to delve deeper into the topics of Shu Ha Ri and Shoshin, I recommend the following worthwhile sources:



The next and fifth part of the series focuses on the "Culture" cluster with Honne tatemae & Wa. Stay tuned. It's worth it!


👉 Click here for the other parts of this blog series: Japanese Innovation Map



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Dr. Babette Sonntag is an innovation manager, keynote speaker, and "The Innonaut." She helps managers in medium-sized businesses who want to initiate something new but are stuck, using Japanese spirit as a boost. 👉 dieinnonautin.de | LinkedIn



Please note: This text is translated into English by using Wix Translation and DeepL- I apologize for any mistakes in this text I may have overlooked.







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