The difference between good leaders and bad leaders is how they think. There are several skills leaders must possess in order to become a great thinker, but one thing each must have is a continual flow of quality ideas.
I just completed Seth Godin’s new book The Practice: Shipping Creative Work. If you like Seth’s previous works you will enjoy The Practice. It contains many of his regular themes – bet on yourself, ship work every day, find your audience and speak to them, be part of a tribe, start something, etc….
My favorite part of the book is located on pages 250-251. In these two pages, Seth lists where great ideas originate. I felt his thoughts were so insightful I wanted to share that excerpt with you.
The following are Seth Godin’s 20 Sources Of Great Ideas:
- “Ideas rarely come from watching television.”
- “Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture.”
- “Ideas often come while reading a book.”
- “Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them.”
- “Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks, or boredom.”
- “Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide.”
- “Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do.”
- “Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginners’ minds. A little awareness is a good thing.”
- “Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week.”
- “Ideas come from trouble.”
- “Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they’re generous and selfless.”
- “Ideas come from nature.”
- “Sometimes ideas come from fear but often they come from confidence.”
- “Useful ideas come from being awake and alert enough to actually notice.”
- “But sometimes ideas sneak in when we’re asleep and too numb to be afraid.”
- “Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we’re not trying.”
- “Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute.”
- “Bigger ideas leapfrog mediocre ones.”
- “Ideas don’t need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity.”
- “An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn’t join us here, it’s hidden. And hidden ideas don’t ship, have no influence, and make no intersection with the market. They die, alone.”
I would like to add to Seth’s excellent list a few additional places where I get great ideas:
- The Bible
- Failure
- Success
- My inner-circle
- Podcasts
- Great sports team, businesses, and churches
- Pastors
Where do you get your great ideas from?
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