Genre: Non-fiction
Author: Scott Belsky
Book Title: Making Ideas Happen (Buy the Book)
Summary:
Have you ever had a great idea: one that you knew would bring significant changes to your life and those around you? What about an idea that would solve a problem or perhaps an idea for a daring innovative product?
Many of us can say we have experienced these ideas a multitude of times, which makes it the easy part. An idea is simply a vision, but the real work comes in transforming that vision into reality.
Many people have a tremendous problem focusing and finishing, and as a result end up with a hundred half-finished projects, which in reality means nothing accomplished at all. The term “completed” is not well understood – most people’s definition is well short of what it actually means, which is this – there is nothing else at all that remains to be done to either put this idea into practice or to kill it.
Until that moment occurs, nothing is complete. Persistence is a key to success that very few have and can use properly. Many falls to the wayside at the first sign of resistance, conflict, the need for increased effort, or chaos. Only those who are willing to pass through the inevitable – and uncomfortable – a tunnel of chaos will succeed in anything, and only those who have paid the price deserve to succeed.
Scott Belsky’s Making Ideas Happen provides a blueprint for reaching the elusive goal of putting an idea into practice successfully. He breaks down the tools and steps necessary to make an idea a reality, from the initial organization phases to marshaling your team and resources and supplying the necessary leadership to see the idea through. No one can create anything worthwhile and last by themselves.
They must have the right people with them who take great pride in the effort and in the team. Good leaders are not limited by what they can do alone, although their abilities may be remarkable. They delegate, trust, empower, listen, hold accountable, and always share all of the credit and rewards, take all of the blame, and are the first to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed.
No one can create anything worthwhile and last by themselves. They must have the right people with them who take great pride in the effort and in the team. Good leaders are not limited by what they can do alone, although their abilities may be remarkable. They delegate, trust, empower, listen, hold accountable, and always share all of the credit and rewards, take all of the blame, and are the first to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed.
Assessing any new endeavor starts with one of two perspectives – honoring the past, or indicting it. A leader must know which one is appropriate and then make that well known to everybody. Leaders are willing to put themselves at risk and to accept the application of a high and visible standard. The reason they do so is that they expect to succeed.
Every leader will experience discouragement and opposition at some point in every truly worthwhile endeavor – no exceptions. All innovation can be accelerated if you are a willing learner and an active observer. Learn from the past, from others, and from your competition. Always assume that someone somewhere has already figured out your problem or is already doing what you aspire to – because it is always the truth.
A lot of the ideas in Making Ideas Happen are intuitive for a naturally gifted planner, but are a struggle to learn if you are “normal.” It’s no wonder that there is always a market for books telling you “how to get yourself more organized and more productive.” With that said, if you are able to follow these steps, you will find yourself closer to accomplishing that rare achievement of taking a great idea and transforming it into reality.
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever had a great idea: one that you knew would bring significant changes to your life and those around you? What about an idea that would solve a problem or perhaps an idea for a daring innovative product? Many of us can say we have experienced these ideas a multitude of times, which makes it the easy part.
An idea is simply a vision, but the real work comes in transforming that vision into reality. Luckily, we do not have to be born with some special trait or be a creative genius for this transformation to occur. Instead, we must learn to develop the ability to make things happen. In his book, Making Ideas Happen, Scott Belsky presents us with the best tools to transform our ideas into reality and guides us in the right direction.
WHY MOST IDEAS NEVER HAPPEN
“Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”
– Thomas Edison
While creativity is the starting point for great ideas, it can also be one of the greatest obstacles to implementation. Our new ideas face challenges from the moment of conception; and unfortunately, the majority will never make it past that point. Most ideas never happen because they rarely begin economically and bring about substantial risk, especially to corporations.
It is much safer to stick to the status quo than to take a leap of faith based on a person’s creativity. These external obstacles can batter our vision, regardless of whether the idea is good or bad. Even more influential than the obstacles that surround our idea are the obstacles we face internally.
Time is a limited commodity, and due to the constant demands in our lives, most ideas lose their priority immediately. Even the ideas that make it through our own limitations are often forgotten because no one knew about them. If you choose to seclude your ideas, there is a strong probability they will become lost.
Even if you have the focus and concentration to pursue a certain idea, this is just the beginning down a long road of setbacks and impediments. However, not all hope is lost. Through every industry and in every inspired pursuit, there are individuals that are consistently successful in forming ideas and making them a reality, and this book tells you how they do it.
THE FORCES THAT MAKE IDEAS HAPPEN
There are three parts to this book: Organization and Execution, the Forces of Community, and Leadership Capability. Belsky describes each part as a force, or a fundamental element needed to make ideas happen. Together, the forces make up the formula you see below. The idea itself is a starting point and always the first part of the equation. This is because the idea is the result of your creativity and inspiration and therefore, completely dependent on you.
MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN = (THE IDEA) + ORGANIZATION AND EXECUTION + FORCES OF COMMUNITY + LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY
PART ONE: ORGANIZATION AND EXECUTION
Before we dive into the first part, we should realize that creative individual are not limited to their imaginations but are also able to act as organizers and leaders. For too long, society has told us that people who are exceptionally bright and creative often lack the natural ability needed to become organized and productive.
This is referred to as the war between the “left-side” and “right-side” of the brain. The solution is to think of our ideas as projects. Although creativity and organization do not naturally work in tandem, the creatively successful person dismisses this as an excuse. The most respected innovators in the world all engage in a common approach to the organization and management of their projects through a process. This process contains a set of core elements, which will be discussed in this section.
It is also important to understand that the process is a deeply personal matter according to a person’s tastes and habits. An external and rigid process can hinder the inspiration of a person. There is no one specific way to develop ideas and implement them. Therefore, a process focused on the core elements is most beneficial when tailored to the individual’s personal preferences.
Organization
The first core element of a process is organization. There are several organizational basics within a project, such as deadlines, potential resources, budgets, etc. The most significant (yet the most ignored) organizational basic is structure. By adding structure and organization to our process, we introduce a competitive advantage and a better chance to achieve the desired outcome. Think about this simple equation:
CREATIVITY X ORGANIZATION = IMPACT
A person who is full of ideas and creativity, but lacks organization has an equation that resembles this: 100 x 0 = 0. Another person who may be half as creative but has amazing organizational skills has an equation, perhaps like this: 50 x 2 = 100. The second person will end up having a far more significant impact than the innovative, yet unorganized, mastermind. The first step in making ideas happen is to develop the ability to organize and structure your ideas.
The Action Method
As creative individuals, we have a tendency to become stuck on brainstorming and originating ideas, which can consume a lot of our time and energy. Scott Belsky developed The Action Method as a way for us to differentiate between actionable and non-actionable items in a process. The Action Method gets its name
“because it helps us live and works with a bias towards action.”
This helps us remember even though new ideas are the catalyst, we must be wary of our overall creativity. We should learn to approach every new project with a hint of hesitation and become exceptionally partial towards the actions that make it happen. Thus, be selective in choosing which ideas to pursue so you can focus on pushing the best ones forward.
This helps us remember even though new ideas are the catalyst, we must be wary of our overall creativity. We should learn to approach every new project with a hint of hesitation and become exceptionally partial towards the actions that make it happen. Thus, be selective in choosing which ideas to pursue so you can focus on pushing the best ones forward.
At the heart of the Action, Method is the principle that everything can be classified as a project. This includes preparing a presentation for your boss, assisting with a new campaign, taking steps to advance your career, moving houses, or even doing your taxes. The Action Method helps us break down every project into three primary components: Action Steps, References, and Backburner Items.
Action Steps are the specific, concrete tasks that move your project forward. The Action Steps serve as the oxygen that keeps a project alive and therefore determine whether your ideas will progress. It is important to keep your Action Steps transparent and fixed in order to avoid complications or ambiguity. Some basic practices of this component include taking advantage of Action Steps wherever you are.
Remember, you are not limited to what you hear or see when working on or outside of your project. It is wise to record actions as they come to mind. Belsky’s own team created an iPhone version for the Action Method Online so clients could easily capture new Action Steps and allocate them to different projects. Also, make sure every Action Step has a role in which someone is responsible.
For most projects, you will require the help of a group of people and the leader will be responsible for delegating the Action Steps. Since Action Steps are vital to our process, it is essential that the leader keeps a master list of all Action Steps required (even those assigned to others). Every Action Step should remain on this list until completed. This will create reassurance and accountability for others throughout the project’s life.
References are any type of notes, minutes taken during a meeting, or continuous discussions you may need to refer back to while working on the project. Keep in mind that References are not actionable, but simply there for suggestions during the process.
Backburner Items are the matters that are not actionable today but could very well become actionable. An example of a Backburner Item would be an idea for your company that does not have an allotted budget or something you would like to happen within your current project later.
Prioritization
At this point, we have touched on the first two core elements of a process: Organization and the Action Method. Now we must decide how to start our projects, or rather where to start. We do this by prioritizing our Action Steps and problems that may occur. This will help us maintain an order to preserve the growth and life of our ideas.
After using the Action Method to break our project up into Action Steps, References, and Backburner Items, we should shift our focus to ranking the Action Steps based on the level of importance. One way we can do this is by placing our projects on an Energy Line. Belsky states that energy is our most precious commodity and even the best of us have only a finite amount.
We can prioritize Action Steps and other items on a line ranging from idle to extreme, according to how much energy they should receive. This will provide a clear visual of the Action Steps we should start first and most importantly, how we can best use our time. Another way we can use the element of Prioritization is to learn how to manage urgent matters that arise, without blocking progress on current projects.
Belsky calls “Creator’s Immediacy” the reaction of a project leader to attempt to fix problems that emerge immediately. This becomes a dilemma when the project leader focuses more on every minor, current problem than with the long-term goals of the project. In addition to classifying issues
along the Energy Line, we can successfully manage urgent matters in several ways.
One is to choose the five projects that are the most important. Another is disciplining ourselves to focus on areas that we can influence and learning not to dwell on the little things. Although few will admit it, certain matters are beyond our control. You can also work on delegating problems and tasks among your team. Belsky recommends making a Responsibility Grid, which serves as a visual to your team to show which tasks belong to each person. This helps divide and complete tasks efficiently. A final method was termed by Belsky as “Darwinism Prioritization.”
It received this name because it is a “natural force for prioritization” that we channel from everyone around us, including friends, family, work colleagues, and clients. This can also be referred to as the nagging and peer pressure we receive from those closest to us to stay on top of tasks and see them to completion. Although the method of Darwinism Prioritization at first appears troublesome, it has proved to be a positive force in increasing prioritization and efficiency among several projects, leaders, and industries.
Execution
Think back to the Thomas Edison quote mentioned earlier. The 99 percent perspiration that makes up success is execution, which is predominately one’s persistence. While execution is difficult and inconvenient, it is not an excuse to give up on your idea. Yet too often, this is exactly what happens. When overwhelmed with Action Steps, our ideas no longer seem that engaging.
When we realize the honeymoon part of the project is over, our work also becomes less interesting. This is when we are liable to get lost in the “project plateau,” only to deviate by abandoning the old idea for a new one. We must develop the ability to persist and prosper throughout this period. Making our ideas happen comes down to self-discipline and how we take action.
Two things can obstruct our ideas during execution: fear and abandoning the action. Fear of rejection, negative feedback, or not succeeding initially can cause us to remain stationary during the most important time to act on our ideas. Key to execution is constant motion. In addition, Belsky illustrates seven techniques we can use to become successful through the phase of execution.
The first technique is to act without conviction. We have been told to think before we act, but in project execution, too much thinking can lead to stalled progress and inflexibility when making important decisions. Taking action quickly helps decipher whether the project is on the right track faster than contemplation possibly could. A second technique is to kill ideas liberally. There are good ideas and bad ideas formed during the execution phase.
The good ideas are incorporated as Action Steps and propel the project forward. Be critical and skeptical of new ideas that can hinder current projects, especially ones that tempt you to start completely over. The third technique suggests measuring meetings with action. Ideally, meetings should lead to ideas that become Action Steps and then delegated out with assigned deadlines.
They should be productive and purposeful. Your time is fleeting, so look to accomplish a goal at every meeting. The fourth technique involves follow up. If you solely rely on others to drive your project, they will decide when and if progress is made. As a project leader, it is your responsibility to take charge and follow up with others to make sure Action Steps are taking place, deadlines met, and the team feels accountable for their work. The fifth technique is seeking constraints.
Belsky found that the hardest ideas and projects to execute were those associated with a large amount of freedom. It turns out that constraints (deadlines, budgets, etc.) help in managing time and energy required for executing our ideas. Certain boundaries can serve as directional guidance for team members to enhance the group’s productivity. The sixth technique requires having a tempered tolerance for change.
Throughout the entire idea process, we should remain flexible to productive change. However, we must make sure changes are made at the correct time and for the right reasons. Some teams structure their process to include “challenge meetings,” where the team can meet to answer and discuss questions regarding current plans, missing items, and potential changes. The final technique involves understanding that progress begets progress.
Human beings are motivated by progress, thus, it is important to realize achievement when you have reached a milestone in your project. It helps to channel this energy as a motivational force to aid during the project plateau and other challenging times. Experiencing progress is an important part of execution and can help us remain focused for the remainder of the project.
Mental Loyalty
We have learned to organize life into a series of projects, manage those projects with a bias towards action, and maintain an environment cultured for execution through our perseverance and dedication. However, we often do not realize the emotional strength we must develop in order to keep committed and loyal to our ideas. The best way we can approach this challenge is to accept the difficulties that lie ahead and prepare for obstacles along the way that prevent us from reaching our ultimate goal.
One way to remain loyal to our ideas is to develop a ritual for perspiration, such as a consistent and structured work schedule. If we organize all of our energy, attention, and focus into a routine, it becomes a place where implementation can flourish. Since structure plays such an important role in creative pursuits, it is ideal to learn to organize the time spent executing ideas into a practice that is repeated throughout the process.
Focus on reducing the amount of “Insecurity Work” we place on ourselves. Belsky warns us about spending too much energy and time performing Insecurity Work, which pertains to the act of seeking out information to validate the status and progress of everything done. It is normal to become anxious about what others think of your projects and ideas, but if you focus too much time on figuring out what you may have missed, you end up hurting your chances of completion.
To reduce our amount of Insecurity Work, we can combine awareness of the habit, self-control, and the aid of a less insecure colleague to evaluate our progress to date. The purpose of reducing our Insecurity Work is to free up our minds, energy, and forces that can weigh us down and cause doubt in our ideas. Belsky put it perfectly when he said, “To envision what will be, you must remove yourself from the constant concern for what already is.”
PART TWO: THE FORCES OF COMMUNITY
The ability to organize and execute ideas is only the first of three forces that work in making ideas happen. Ideas do not happen based on the sole work of one group or even the most creative individual. Rather, other people will always have a part in helping your ideas reach reality. Belsky states,
“Your community will seldom understand your idea in the beginning, but it will help make it real in the end.”
Your overall success could depend on how effective you are in channeling the help of others. As we will observe, your community can become a supporting and essential foundation for your ideas.
Harnessing the Forces Around You
The community and forces that surround us include our project team, advisors, clients, colleagues, family, and friends. Those with a record for gaining traction around their ideas realize the advantage of harnessing these communal forces together and incorporating them into their ideas. Quite often though, people do not want to share their ideas for fear of losing a competitive advantage.
However, sharing ideas openly with others creates the potential to improve, increase accountability, and create a network that can work to help surpass all of our expectations. Most ideas can end up stagnant and secluded because no time was ever spent articulating it to the community. Because of this, it is very important to make sure ideas are transparent and lucid to the communal forces that surround us.
We should also develop a strong awareness of the needs and considerations of those around us, particularly the ones who show a strong interest in our projects. The more we become aware of our community, the more we will encounter useful feedback and support to help sustain our ideas. When we allow ourselves to make the most out of feedback we receive, it can add great value to our work. We can also look at the competition around us to learn efficient ways of doing things, such as improving our processes and performance level.
It may seem odd to seek out the competition, but it is a wise approach to encourage performance and action. Finally, never underestimate the power of a network. Your network is your community and it is where the power of accountability comes into play. The people in your network become vested in your interest and ideas throughout your work and life. Thus, when your goals are made public, you will be held to a new standard by your peers to make those ideas happen.
Pushing Ideas Out to Your Community
The first set of communal forces we discussed was of the “pull” variety, meaning we pull people into our process to add value to the ideas themselves. Now we will discuss the second set, which concerns the “push” element. From this, you will learn to market your ideas broadly to engage and influence your community.
First, we must overcome the stigma of self-marketing. While marketing is clearly important, it often gets a bad reputation when it involves needing to sell our product, ideas, and ultimately, ourselves to others. We fear to come across as self-centered or too promotional, and thus, we fail to market ourselves clearly to those we wish to engage.
A certain degree of self-promotion is necessary if we are going to access the resources and opportunities from those in the community. Therefore, you market yourself in a way to get the community to recognize your qualifications, your initiative, and your interests. Informing others around you of what you are doing and your requirements to succeed is essential. In Belsky’s interview with Sara Horowitz, founder and executive director of the Freelancers Union, Horowitz relates to the struggle she has observed with freelancers and self-marketing.
She believes the difference betweenshameful and sensational self-marketing is in the intentions. “Marketing should not be seen as fake,” she explained, “At its best, marketing is building relationships and learning.” By bringing your ideas to the community, you have the opportunity to communicate your objectives and strengths by seeking to understand those of others.
Effective self-marketing strategies build respect and seek, at first, your true interests, and therefore become personal projects that demonstrate your strengths. As your strengths are realized, people begin to appreciate your efforts for something that is real and truly earned.
We have discussed a lot about the benefits of collaboration and feedback exchange with our team and community. However, simply having the support of a community of like-minded people is not enough. We must attract some degree of mass appeal to prevent our ideas from abating in the long run.
Therefore, we should focus on grounding our ideas outside of just one community and expanding to new and, perhaps, even uncomfortable territories to prevent this from occurring. This can be difficult for those of us who tend to be defensive when challenged about our ideas. We tend to isolate ourselves among those who think and act the same as we do. However, it makes sense if we wish for our ideas to have a widespread impact that we should aim to include all types of people.
We can do this by acquiring a pragmatic lens that grounds our expectations, tastes, and perceptions while attempting to expand one’s comfort area to share ideas and receive feedback. As mentioned by seeking competition, the further you promote your idea and diversify yourself during the process, the more likely you are to succeed.
We should also try to recognize when we are no longer a solo show. When we begin this “push” out of our ideas to the community and seek to engage others, we become one of many involved parties. This can cause our default mode of self-reliance to feel threatened. Self-reliance may have encouraged our creativity, yet it will hinder our endeavors when it comes time to connect with partners and assemble our team.
If we fail to share ownership of our progress and success, we will also fail to develop our ideas. There is a desire we have to add value and meaning to the work we do. Thus, it is important to engage your team and the community around you by sharing credit, responsibility, and perhaps monetary rewards. Besides being just the leader, focus on also becoming a teacher.
There is a good chance that the people who end up working closest with you hope to gain more than money or fame from this experience. It is impossible for any great, creative project or idea to survive off the energy of one person. As Belsky put it, “You must evolve along with the scope of your creative ideas in order to make them happen.”
PART THREE: LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY
We have now covered the forces of organization and execution and the communities that make our ideas happen. In addition, the success of our creative endeavors relies on our ability to lead. Several obstacles will arise when we lead a team and many of these will come from our own natural tendencies.
We can fall short in engaging and empowering the right people, struggle with judgment and anxiety, and can become unwilling to give up control of ideas for fear of compromising quality and our own individual recognition. If we can overcome these challenges, we will gradually become better leaders.
In this part of his book, Belsky presents the best practices and observations of great innovative leaders as reference points for our own creative endeavors. After the discussion on how we can lead others, the focus will turn towards the obstacles we face internally as leaders. In order to successfully lead others, we must become more effective leaders of ourselves.
The Rewards Overhaul
Starting at an early age, our formal education embeds a short-term rewards system that hinders our ability to make ideas happen. We created a strategic cycle in which we would spend our energy studying only what we knew would be tested, with the short-term goal of achieving high marks. When we entered the workforce, the good grades became our paycheck, recognition, and the potential of receiving a raise or bonus.
The rewards system of the traditional work environment keeps us on track and in line with the goals of our company. It is also likely to keep us in a job and secure within the status quo. However, the inclination towards frequent and incremental rewards can damage our attempt to pursue long-term goals. Short-term rewards frequently remind us of our current desires and they possess the ability to channel our energy and attention elsewhere.
To lead a team and ourselves successfully, we must create a way to change our reliance on the traditional short-term reward system. Rather than fight this natural inclination, Belsky states that we can “short-circuit” our focus to the short-term by keeping two competing concepts in mind at once. The first concept is to unplug from the traditional rewards system.
This means as a leader, you must shift your focus away from short-term goals and become willing to forgo the recognition of success from others. It can be psychologically and economically difficult to depart from conventional awards after a lifetime of working with one approach. Nevertheless, making this change is imperative to the success of your ideas in the long run.
The second concept is to stay engaged by setting up a system of incremental rewards. It can be difficult (if not near impossible) to stay motivated during the entire idea process without some incentive. To achieve sustained effort, Belsky recommends tricking ourselves into staying engaged by creating a regimented series of near-term rewards.
Some individuals choose to reward with the value of the lessons they learn or build games into their creative processes. Others have awarded gifts upon reaching certain milestones. One entrepreneur told Belsky in an interview that he cited the growing number of results that resulted when he searched for his company’s name in Google search as a daily, short-term form of encouragement.
Belsky also advocates using happiness as its own reward. While the traditional awards for progress achievement are unlikely to be available in the beginning stages of making ideas happen, placing importance on your own happiness changes the types of goals you pursue as well as how you lead people along the way.
The Chemistry of the Creative Team
Accepting responsibility for team chemistry can be just as useful as reorganizing rewards to encourage your creative pursuits. When we build our team, we want to look beyond technical skills and develop chemistry that will transform ideas into great achievements.
First, we can engage initiators in our creative pursuits. It is challenging for leaders to build a team of enthusiastic and talented people, but instead of focusing solely on résumés and individual experience, direct your attention to a person’s ability to take initiative. Secondly, concentrate on cultivating complementary skill sets among the people you employ. Then provide flexibility for productivity by making the team’s priorities clear to everyone.
Flexibility is important for keeping spirits high and maintaining flow within the group. As leaders, we should recognize that this requires a certain level of trust and commitment with and among our team members. We must set aside our own insecurities and desire for control to allow our creative teams to prosper for the purposes that brought them together.
Managing the Creative Team
The challenge we face from day one is getting others to understand and support our ideas as if they were their own. Leadership is about planting a genuine desire in the hearts and minds of people that causes them to take ownership of their work in a project. Thus, we must develop the ability to efficiently direct our team and avoid giving the impression that they are being undervalued and micromanaged.
Initially, we can become better at managing by sharing ownership of our ideas. While sharing is easier said than done, it can help the team feel collectively involved and responsible for making ideas a success. Sharing ownership first involves getting people interested in your ideas. The next step is learning to trust and empower team members to push those ideas forward. Belsky states,
“truly sharing ownership of ideas means permitting your team members, the people you have entrusted with the fate of the project, to make meaningful decisions—even decisions that you may have made differently.”
In addition to sharing ownership, leaders should abide by a rule to speak last. The tendency to talk first when managing a team is a common flaw among visionary leaders. This is because it forgoes the opportunity to hear others who may have better solutions but feel apprehensive to challenge the leader.
When we enable our team members to share their ideas first, we can develop a better understanding of their reasoning and insight. When managing a team, leaders should challenge themselves to ask questions before making statements and listen attentively when not speaking.
Self-leadership
The concept of “self-leadership” is not something many of us consider very often. Yet, leadership capability relates to ourselves as much as to how we lead others. Some of the greatest obstacles we will face in making ideas happen to lie within us. Self-leadership is really about consciousness, tolerance, and not letting natural tendencies limit our potential for success.
As leaders, we should first aim to find a path to self-awareness. Self-awareness is a deeply personal, critical skill, which focuses on understanding the emotions that trigger our actions. If we can learn to use our emotions maturely instead of suppressing them, we become more introspective and personally invested in our actions.
The path to self-awareness never really ends, but an early commitment to this development yields better judgment, lasting relationships, and great decisions that gain the respect and confidence you will need to lead your creative pursuits. The greatest leaders are able to work with what they know, identify what they do not know, and make the appropriate decision.
As a leader, it is crucial to remain calm and patient through periods of ambiguity. The truth will eventually shed light and when it does, your fortitude will produce respect from others and greater opportunities. In contrast, one natural tendency leaders should attempt to avoid is the trap of “visionary’s narcissism.”
Belsky refers to the visionary’s narcissism as the leader’s default thinking that he or she is the exception to the rules of the past. Despite the tendency to look at every project with a fresh set of eyes, we should realize that the situations we encounter might not always require a new approach. Instead of attempting to “reinvent the wheel,” we should consider learning from the lessons of the past and taking advantage of previous (and often risk-free) knowledge.
CONCLUSION
It begins with an idea. From there, we embark on the path from vision to reality, involving the forces of organization and execution, community, and leadership capability. While our ideas will vary, the struggles we will face are similar. Through this journey, we will discover ourselves as leaders, stimulate the evolvement of ideas in the community and move steadily forward along a path of realistic idea implementation.
It is certain that we will face obstacles from within ourselves as leaders and from others. There will be periods of ambiguity and self-doubt. If we can get through these steps, our ideas will happen. We will grow wiser in our endeavors and acquire actionable steps and skills to support our idea development. If you believe in your ideas, invest in your ideas and make them happen.
Britt always taught us Titans that Wisdom is Cheap, and the principal can find treasure troves of the good stuff in books. We hope only will also express their thanks to the Titans if the book review brought wisdom into their lives.