Margaret Heffernan, a professor at the University of Bath, said an entrepreneurial leader today has to pursue curiosity like an artist: “What does an artist do? They notice, they investigate, they seek to understand what’s really going on in the world. Then they ask themselves this question constantly – ‘what can we make of it?’ How can we make something that’s really positive, that’s relevant, that speaks to people, that is meaningful and has value? They have a fearless imagination and endless capacity to experiment. They change before they have to. They keep moving. And they recognize that they often fail.”
Tim Ferriss was inspired to write a book as he traversed the world mourning a longtime personal relationship that fell victim to his workaholic lifestyle. That resulted in an insight, and Ferriss acted on the idea with determination, doggedly pursuing a book deal even after 26 rejections.
Unique insights are random, unexpected, and serendipitous.
From “Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for Your Ideas, Business, and Life Against All Odds” by Mark Schaefer
