What kind of genius are you? Or don't give up on your brilliant idea.
Samir Mehta
Global Director, Digital Portfolio and Practice Hub at Center for Creative Leadership
We are all geniuses. You, me, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Just different types of genius. Many moons ago, I wrote about the value of the high professional (here). Then, recently, I listened to the brilliant Malcolm Gladwell's podcast on genius. I was immediately reminded of my then favorite band - Metallica and how their creativity and beauty just grows with time. (BTW - if you are thinking of switching articles at this time - I recommend Gladwell's podcast over my old article. But there are just a few words left for my article - I'll put the link to the podcast at the end, so that will be your reward)
Gladwell recognizes the immense value of the slow and painstaking iterative genius - the one who's work is never ever done. The one who tinkers, the one who tweaks.
My takeaway from this is for all of us who don't do purely creative things for work - the engineers, the managers, the leaders of others and self, the leaders of leaders and the strategists. We shouldn't stop tinkering - I think our work is fundamentally the second type - the type that just cannot be perfect the first time around - we have way too many variables to adjust for. But ever too often, we judge ourselves and others by the first cut, the first developmental conversation, the first sales attempt, the first group meeting by the new boss. First impressions are so important we are told, and we tell ourselves.
What if we disregard the first impression, what if we let every interaction be a new one, both for ourselves and our partners around us (I see clients, bosses, direct reports, superiors, family members and everyone we get to interact with as partners - some more than others).
What if we make each of our attempts at every piece of work we do the next tweak, rather than just the next filling out of the template? What if we truly become creative leaders in every sense of the word.
We would be slower to start with - CCL has recognized the GAG effect (going against the grain) but we would be better every time.
I commit to continuously trying to be creative and collaborative or die trying. (Thanks Yossarian)
What about you?
As promised, here is the link to the podcast - http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah
Client Engagement Director and Co-Director, Geneva Leadership Alliance
7yGreat spirit Samir Mehta! I commit with you. Interestingly, your idea of constantly tinkering as a form of genius is an effective way of balancing 'disruption with continuous improvement.' Innovating and refining. Doing and reflecting. Like light. Being both a particle and a wave. At the same time and discretely. Recognizing that space appears at once 'empty' yet as Farday showed in the 19th century (by going against, and with, the particle physics philosophical grain of the time) space is filled with electromagnetism. Faraday, avoiding the void, as it where. Thus proposing a solution to the fundamental insufficiency of Newton's philosophy (that bothered Newton up to his death) of both why and how masses attract (gravitational force that Newton's maths proved existed) through Faraday's methods based on his literal tinkering. Incremental thinking against and with the grain that both disrupted and refined particle physics. Giving us among other things, electric motors, electric magnets, and batteries. Creative leading is an approach as well as a gift.
Helping organizational leaders measure and manage the invisible forces that impact their effectiveness at individual, team and enterprise levels.
7yGood stuff, Samir! Hope you're well, friend!