Are you the type of person who always reads the same author, the same genera of book?
Do you always buy the same brand of clothes? Go to the same news outlets to keep up to date?
When looking for some reference material or business theory do you always check out 1 or 2 leaders before anyone else?
A thought came to me this weekend. I am always quoting Simon Sinek in my presentations on leadership. Now on the surface there is nothing wrong with this. Mr Sinek is credible and because of his wildly read books has a good level of authority. I love his latest book. However, might there be other opinions that would strengthen my understanding and experience?
It got me thinking “When was the last time I tried something new, read something different, referenced someone new?”
Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”
Why am I asking myself these questions, going down this path of thinking?
Well firstly, I do not want to get stuck in a rut.
(My weeks have become a little bit samey since lockdown. We have a routine. Work hard in the home office each day; getting up at 6am, working until 3pm or 4pm then going for my daily walk or run before having dinner with my husband. We spend the weekends relaxing. Yes, gardening, speaking to family and friend on video, doing some DIY, reading; in essence - down time.)
Secondly, I want to keep learning. There is so much out there I don’t know.
(This weekend’s human spaceflight from SpaceX and NASA is a great example of something I don’t know anything about and something most of us only know a little about.)
Expanding our horizons, trying something new, reading something different, getting a fresh perspective helps us understanding the world a little better. It inspires me, helps me innovate and keeps me motivated.
Definition of Inspiration
1. The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
2. Afff sudden brilliant or timely idea.
It also helps my business. There are plenty of examples in history where people have taken ideas and stimuli from other business sectors and made leaps and bounds in their own sector. One of the most famous is Henry Ford who saw the production line working in a meat packing plant and then applied it to the automobile industry thereby dramatically reducing assembly times and costs.
Are you struggling to solve a business problem or find a new process for your business?
Have some of your team got into a bit of a rut?
Go and be curious, do something different, walk a different route, read something new, ask someone new a question just because. Surround yourself with people from different sectors and diverse backgrounds. Be open minded, look at something from a different angle and actively think about the answers you find. They might be your next big break through.
Further Inspiration
This great article list some of the most inspiring magazines you can read. I’ve read a couple of them and agree
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