Good days for insights had nothing to do with stunning breakthroughs or grand victories. The key turned out to be having small wins — minor innovations and troubling problems solved — on concrete steps toward a larger goal. Creative insights flowed best when people had clear goals but also freedom in how they reached them. And, most crucial, they had protected time — enough to really think freely. A creative cocoon.
— Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (Daniel Goleman), Loc. 655–8