The best leaders are learners

Some people can quickly make sense of things and join the dots. Psychologist, Howard Gardner, in his work on 'multiple intelligences' called this ability ‘searchlight intelligence’, defining it as: "That ability to connect the dots between people and ideas where others see no possible connection." This is a way to equip ourselves for the future so we can shift our perspective and remain relevant in times of accelerated change and extreme uncertainty. George De Mestral gets it. He invented Velcro after curiously observing the burrs attached to his dog. By mimicking the small hooks in the burrs, Velcro was created. We need this capability now to: 👁 Scan the environment 👁 Be even more curious 👁 Relentlessly ask questions 👁 Look outside our own environment/industry to see things differently and make connections. One way to prime the mindset for ‘searchlight mode’ is to borrow a practice from IDEO, the masters of design thinking – the ideation mash-up. It’s this approach, that brings two unrelated categories/industries together, that has helped hospital surgical teams gain valuable insights from Formula1 teams on safety. It's amazing what we can discover when we bring unexpected and random things together. Reach out to find out more on how we can help you and nudge mindsets for optimal performance.