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You don't have to be a genius to come up with the best ideas that get startups off the ground and drive companies like Google and Apple.
In fact, anyone can learn how to generate more big ideas.
In their book, The Idea Hunter: How To Find The Best Ideas And Make Them Happen, Boston College Carroll School of Management Dean Andy Boynton and Bill Fischer, professor at Switzerland's IMD business school, examine the world's most successful thinkers and companies.
They found that "habits and behaviors are more important than sheer brain power, that it's not the brightest who perform the best, but it's people who have figured out how to really prosper in an idea-rich society," Fischer said in an interview with Inc.
We've highlighted some of the best takeaways from the book.
Good ideas come to those whose "brains are open"
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Sam Walton turned Walmart into one of the world's largest corporations by constantly keeping his eyes open and searching for new ideas in his competitors' stores. He spent a significant amount of his time traveling across the country to see what other people were doing.
"In a professional context, intellectual curiosity is basically an abiding interest in any and all matters that could improve the job you're doing," say Boynton and Fischer.
Source: The Idea Hunter: How To Find The Best Ideas And Make Them Happen
To come up with new ideas, look in new places
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Don't look in the same places everyone else is — you need to discover what they're missing.
Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Company known for Samuel Adams Boston Lager, came up with the idea for selling beer while talking to a stranger he met in a bar. The man told Koch that he liked imported beer even though it tasted spoiled, which led Koch to develop fresher-tasting, high-end beer.
"In professional life, some of the best ideas will come from weak-tie individuals, whose conversational networks are different from ours. They may well have an entirely different perspective on a subject, one that expands our supply of knowledge and ideas."
Source: The Idea Hunter: How To Find The Best Ideas And Make Them Happen
At the same time, know what you're looking for
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This will help you sort through the rush of information that you'll come across each day as you look for ideas. Assess your strengths and competencies. Pinpoint your interests.
Warren Buffet and his investment partner Charlie Munger differentiate themselves by seeking to understand the companies they invest in from a deeper perspective. They avoid stocks they don't understand.
"[Having a focus] helps guide you to what you need to be learning and to the ideas you need to be getting. Buffet doesn't have to scatter his valuable learning time across the market, because he know that certain sectors, such as high-tech, are not what he's good at."
Source: The Idea Hunter: How To Find The Best Ideas And Make Them Happen
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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See Also:
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Clik here to view.
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