The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen
192
The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen
192Hardcover
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Overview
Jack Welch once said, "Someone, somewhere has a better idea." In this myth-busting book, the authors reveal that great business ideas do not spring from innate creativity, or necessarily from the brilliant minds of people. Rather, great ideas come to those who are in the habit of looking for great ideas all around them, all the time. Too often, people fall into the trap of thinking that the only worthwhile idea is a thoroughly original one. Idea Hunters know better. They understand that valuable ideas are already out there, waiting to be found - and not just in the usual places.
- Shows how to expand your capacity to find and develop winning business ideas
- Explains why ideas are a critical asset for every manager and professional, not just for those who do "creative"
- Reveals how to seek out and select the ideas that best serve your purposes and goals and define who you are, as a professional
- Offers practical tips on how to master the everyday habits of an Idea Hunter, which include cultivating great conversations
The book is filled with illustrative accounts of successful Idea Hunters and stories from thriving "idea" companies. Warren Buffet, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Mary Kay Ash, Twitter, and Pixar Animation Studios are among the many profiled.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780470767764 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 04/26/2011 |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
BILL FISCHER IS A PROFESSOR at IMD. He previously served as dean and president of the China-Europe International Business School, a joint venture of the European Union and Chinese government, in Shanghai, China.
WILLIAM BOLE IS A JOURNALIST and a research fellow of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics at Boston College.
Read an Excerpt
Table of Contents
Preface: Why Hunt? xiIntroduction: Brilliance Not Required 1
Already Out There 3
Ready to Unlearn 7
1 Know Your Gig 11
The Discernment 13
The Circle of Competence 17
Gigs Matter 19
The I–D–E–A Principles
Interested
2 Be Interested, Not Just Interesting 25
Curiosity at the Trading Post 28
Learning Machines 29
Your Brain is Open 33
Defining Your Own Hunt 36
Ideawork #1: Selling the Best Hour of the Day to Yourself 39
Diverse
3 Diversifying the Hunt 47
The Color of Your Ideas 49
When Weak Ties are Strong 51
Widening Your Intellectual Bandwidth 54
Bridging Distant Worlds 58
Ideas are Everywhere 61
Ideawork #2: The I’S and T’S 65
Exercised
4 Mastering the Habits of the Hunt 71
The Practice of Ideas 73
Begin with an Eye 75
Observing at the Ritz 77
Erecting a Personal Platform of Observation 80
Write It Down 83
Get It Moving 86
Observe Yourself 88
Ideawork #3: Assembling an Idea Portfolio 91
Exercised
4 Mastering the Habits of the Hunt 71
The Practice of Ideas 73
Begin with an Eye 75
Observing at the Ritz 77
Erecting a Personal Platform of Observation 80
Write It Down 83
Get It Moving 86
Observe Yourself 88
Ideawork #3: Assembling an Idea Portfolio 91
Agile
5 Idea Flow is Critical 101
The Case of the Guitar Strings 104
Creating Idea Spaces at Pixar 106
Finding the “Informal Bosses” 110
Letting Ideas Percolate 112
When It’s Time to “Kill” Ideas 115
Ideawork #4: Ready, Set, Launch 121
6 Create Great Conversations 129
“Continuers” and “Terminators” 132
The Value of a Naive Question 136
Preparing for the Big Conversation 138
Epilogue: Thoreau and the I-D-E-A Assessment 143
References 151
Acknowledgments 161
About the Authors 165
Index 167
What People are Saying About This
"Humans make progress by discovering new ideas, but also, importantly, by repurposing the ones that already exist. Boynton and Fisher show how each of us can get better at this critical skill, identifying and reapplying existing ideas." ―Paul Romer, Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
“Hunting is an apt metaphor. Ideas exist everywhere in the wild. The trick is knowing where to look for them and how to capture them. Boynton and Fischer tell us how.” ―Ron Sargent, Chairman & CEO, Staples, Inc.
“The Idea Hunter is unique. It’s about curiosity, agility and perpetually hunting for better ideas. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to compete and collaborate more effectively each and every day.” ―Greg Brown, President & CEO, Motorola Solutions.
“This book upends a number of persistent myths about innovation and what it takes to be an ‘idea person.’ It shows that what’s required is not spectacular creativity or remarkable IQ, but curiosity—a genuine desire to engage in a daily search for ideas. It will help transform the way you and your business operate.” ―Jay Hooley, Chairman, President & CEO, State Street Corporation
“The Idea Hunter is not only an enjoyable read. It offers a practical method so that anyone or any firm can learn the secrets of harnessing the power of ideas to drive success.” ― Laura J. Sen, President & CEO, BJ’s Wholesale Club
“Boynton and Fischer offer powerful and practical advice on how to jump-shift the flow of ideas in your organization. This will become required reading for any leader intent on shaping a high-performance organization.” ―Michael D. White, Chairman & CEO, DirecTV
Observe, ask questions, be curious, dare to throw odd ideas into a group’s conversation to make it better. Be an Idea Hunter! ―Ton Büchner, CEO, Sulzer, Ltd
“My company aims to add about $4 billion in new sales every year. This won’t be possible without everyone in the organization contributing new ideas. The Idea Hunter is an essential guide to systematically developing this critical capability.” ― Werner Geissler, Vice Chairman, Global Operations, Procter & Gamble
“Thrilling, fun, and inspiring, The Idea Hunter tells stories and discerns patterns of behavior and habits shared by the great innovators of the past century. It finds similarities among the greats ranging from Warren Buffet to Steve Jobs, and even going back earlier in the century to Walt Disney and Thomas Edison. Through brief stories and simple self-reflection exercises, this book distills the quirky essence of leading imagination in a way we can consume it, and hopefully aspire to become one with it. ― Aaron C. Sylvan, Serial Entrepreneur and Technologist (One Technology, TrustWorks, LemonadeHeroes, Sylvan Social Technology)
“We rely on using the ideas of thousands of experts to win against tough competition in a crowded market. Using The Idea Hunter as a trail map, any leader can win the daily wars of ideas that differentiate the innovator from the rest.” ―Jack Hughes, Chairman and Co-founder, TopCoder, Inc.
“Idea hunters are normal people, with a normal life in a common social contest. The only difference is that they have an open mind and are skilled in searching. This brilliant book is an ideal guide to achieve an open mind in our complex world.” ―Maurizio Marinelli, Visual Artist & President of Baskerville Research Center on Communication, Bologna, Italy