To have a 'beautiful mind' is not what you see reflected in the mirror.

"Most people can be reasonable and competent, well at what they do but at the same time be rather dull. New ideas are rare because we have been taught analysis and judgement but never creativity." Edward De Bono.

The concept, the idea that curiosity sparks innovation, has propelled my career and life. I recall someone once said to me; there are two types of people in the world, those with looks and those with brains – and thank goodness you're clever (meaning me!) I was slightly taken aback before the person added, remember looks fade, but a clever mind will always be fascinating. While this communicated to me at a very early age, there is so much truth to it, to the point that the observation has resonated and moulded me into the person I am today. Is 'interesting' an attractive trait?

The possibility of the idea of doing something different, of disruptive behavior, is in itself both fascinating and daunting. Falling into the unknown motivated by an idea has produced the world we live in today. It influenced what we do and how we do it.

I'm a firm believer in the 'what if?' idea generation exercise that I use as an opening activity to get the mind flowing. In a controlled and safe environment, I'm always fascinated by the very different perceptions from my teams, assuring them that 'no idea is a bad idea' and that the concept propels forward-thinking. That to me is clever; that's a beautiful mind. Curiosity is the seed of innovation.

Think back to when you've been asked, 'name five people alive or dead you will invite to a dinner party.' Admit it. Immediately, one considers who will be 'interesting, clever, insightful, genius or inspirational around the metaphorical table. And I can bet you anything, that 'looks will have nothing to do with that.'

#creativethinking #innovation #beautifulmind #beautifulandclever