365QOD- Day1221

Why Creatives Need Sources & People?

“Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing.” ― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

This morning I read an interesting article by Barry Kasanoff called Why Leaders Need Imagination & Persistence on LinkedIn.  In it he estimates if the original Google concept was presented to top 500 CEOs back in 1998 they would have:

-          300 would have dismissed it as trivial

-          100 would have sized the opportunity but killed it

-          90   might have approved a test project

-          10   might have launched an initiative

-          1     might have succeeded to execute it

These guesstimates are interesting. He believes that the two qualities that the 1 CEO would have to have are Imagination and Persistence in order to succeed with the idea.

So what?

I believe that a better way to look it this idea is to think in terms of your own ideas.  If you have 500 ideas in your life that are worthwhile you might:

-          300 dismiss them as trivial

-          100 would appeal to you but you might conclude that it is not for you

-          90 ideas might pull you enough to do a test project

-          10 ideas might make you passionate enough to try them

-          1 idea might have enough of a momentum to succeed

What Barry is talking about is how for that one idea to succeed.  According to him, Imagination and Persistence are vital for recognizing and succeeding with an idea.  So what is necessary for recognizing which one is the one to pursue? 

I believe that being open to a lot of different sources (books, fields, interests, etc.) and people (co-workers, friends, influencers, etc.)  will place one in a situation to create an idea worth pursuing.  So to me Sources and People are what creators need to get the one idea worth pursuing.

Today’s question is:

“What sources are you using and which people are you consulting with?”