Necessity may be the mother of personal invention, but thinking about others can lead to more creative and useful ideas, according to new research. The findings have important implications for employee management as well as personal brainstorming, said Adam Grant, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “People who focus on others tend to be more creative than those who are just out for themselves, because focusing on others forces you to consider a wider range of perspectives,” said Prof. Grant, who conducted the study with doctoral student James Berry of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.