Creativity@Work: Idea Master Richard Branson

My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them...from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that I had to attempt it. –Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur and risk-taker extraordinaire, best known for his Virgin Group of over 400 companies. Branson’s first successful business venture was a magazine called Student at age 16. He is the 212th richest person in the world according to Forbes' 2010 list of billionaires.

What makes him an Idea Master is his philosophy to embrace life, take risks, learn from failure, think creatively, and continually adapt.

Consider how your organization could “think” more like Richard Branson to become more creative and innovative by borrowing some of his traits:

• Step out of the comfort zone- Branson is constantly stepping outside his comfort zone into new industries and challenges.

• Face toward problems-When problems arise, Branson tackles them immediately and aggressively, making sure that small problems don’t become big issues.

• Be open to change- Branson is constantly open to changing his perspectives, viewpoints and approach to any situation if he feels that it will help him attain his goals and objectives in a much more effective and efficient manner.

• Seek new opportunities- Branson is always on the lookout for new opportunities and ideas that will enable him to gain an advantage over his competitors.

• Ask questions- Branson is constantly asking questions to clarify his thinking and help him overcome the challenges that confront him on a daily basis.

• Be playful- Branson turns everything into a game where having fun is on top of his agenda.

• Take notes- Branson carries a notepad in his pocket to capture ideas for new projects, gather feedback from customers and employees, and to write his goals, thoughts and experiences on paper.

• Learn from failures- Branson fully understands that lessons are usually learned through mistakes and experience.

To learn more about Richard Branson, visit Virgin’s website.

It’s almost here! The complete, expanded second edition e-book comes out on March 1st! Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative at work. Email me for more information.

Creativity@Work Idea Master: Leonardo da Vinci

Most of us are familiar with the genius of Leonardo da Vinci (1452 –1519). Not only did he paint several famous works including the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, da Vinci was an observer, scientist, and inventor. His studies in science and engineering are as impressive and innovative as his artistic work, much of which is recorded in notebooks comprising over 13,000 pages of notes and drawings. Da Vinci is also credited with inventing a tank and helicopter centuries before they were produced in their now familiar form. He was a man of ideas well before their time.

Michael Gelb’s book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, has a roadmap to use what Gelb calls the da Vinci principles, with one in particular, sfumato, managing ambiguity and change, is extremely relevant to facing the prospect of change and innovative processes in the workplace. While many of us have fears of the unknown, using da Vinci’s sfumato, which refers to a style of painting where the edges are hazy but implied, we need to become at ease with the unknown. Only by embracing the inherent uncertainty of creativity and innovation, can we move to da Vinci’s level of thinking and creativity.

For more information on Gelb’s book and the other da Vinci principles, visit his website.

In an earlier post, I included an exercise called Write it Down, which uses some of da Vinci’s technique of observation to gather ideas and information for unleashing the creativity process.

Need more ideas to unleash Creativity@Work? Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative at work. Email me for more information.