“Re-Think”, thinking differently. Nigel Barlow’s proposal for leadership in the New Age

Innovation is a priority and a strategic necessity, but it is more difficult to put into practice than many are willing to acknowledge. In his book “Rethink“, Nigel Barlow gives us some of the keys to achieving this. The essential thing, as the author explains, is to “re-think”, that is, to develop the habit of thinking differently, in an unusual and original way. In today’s conversation we are going to reflect on Barlow’s proposal in the context of leadership 2.0 and innovation in management.

Two types of creativity

For Barlow, there are two types of creativity: adaptation, which is about improving what already exists, and innovation, which is about thinking differently. Managers are usually very concerned about continuing to improve, and the company ends up focusing almost exclusively on adaptation. It is true that “improving what already exists” is fundamental to a business. But changing things is becoming increasingly important. Often, the structure of the organization “marginalizes” people who really think differently. They end up feeling like “outsiders.” And that’s a problem, because today the challenge for most organizations is to change the organization itself, and that requires both types of creativity: adaptation and innovation. According to the author, the problem is also found in the educational system itself:

If you ask a class of four-year-olds who feels creative, they all raise their hands. If you ask the same question at 14, there are no arms raised. Therein lies the failure of the education system.

Two types of people: critics and creators

In Barlow’s view, there are two types of people in the world: 1. The “Yes, but…” group, which are those who evaluate and judge ideas even before they have fully listened to them. They are, by nature, averse to new ideas and have the mindset of a critic rather than a creator.

2. The opposite group, formed by the “Re-thinkers”. They are those who are open to original ideas. They like to discover new ways of approaching problems and the most everyday situations, and they have enough courage to put new ideas into practice. Their way of thinking is characterized by formulas such as “Why not?” or “What if…?”, instead of the “Yes, but…” typical of critics. The most surprising thing is that, sometimes, these two types do not correspond to different people, but are two sides of the same person. What day do you have today? Are you positive or negative? Do you want to discover new things or do you prefer to reaffirm your convictions? Your attitude can change everything. As we have mentioned, organizations must continue to function, and there are times when “Yes, but…” can be convenient. But the excessive use of this channel of thought leads us to a premature hardening of the mind, and to reject new ideas without even giving them a chance.

How to start rethinking?

Distinguish yourself. Be different. The success of companies like Apple, ING, Startbucks or Cirque du Soleil is that they are different. Compared to the traditional option, which consists of competing in a market full of rivals, they follow a Blue Ocean Strategy that allows them to create new markets with new rules. Apple came from outside the music market, and was able to totally transform it with the iPod. In practice, Re-thinking means asking yourself: Is my company’s vision, mission, value statement, and even that of any of my competitors? What would it look like if you were really different?

Bring your beliefs and mental models to light. If you wear green glasses, you will see everything green. Also, after a while you will forget that you are wearing your glasses, and you will not know why you see everything green. It will seem natural to you. Similarly, we are not aware of our beliefs, nor of the mental models with which we operate every day. Today you can bring your beliefs to light.

Just have a bold and frank conversation with someone close to you. Talk to him or her about your beliefs on important issues like friendship, work, life, or death. It will be like putting a mirror in front of your beliefs to really see what you think about those issues. You will realize that the world we see is the one we believe. Think that the time has come to free yourself from those beliefs that are holding you back.

Be a creator, not a critic. We all know how to recognize when we are being critical, and when we are being “re-thinkers”. Collect: how many times, throughout this week, have you said “Yes, but…” to the ideas of others? The formulas used to criticize are many: “With all due respect…” “I heard what you say, but…” “The problem is that… “, and a long etcetera, always putting obstacles in the way of the ideas of others. The antidote to this criticism is to develop the new habit of “re-thinking”. You must build a kind of reflex act that makes you respond: “why not?” or “what if…?” Explore, expand and play with new ideas before condemning them. Remember that you can only be either a creator or a critic. There is no middle ground. Turn off that critical voice and unleash your creativity.

Pay attention! The aspect we pay more attention to eventually grows, gets bigger and bigger. There is always a rose and a thorn. The funny thing is that if you pay more attention to the thorn, you are more likely to prick yourself. The trick is to direct our attention to what is constructive, positive, and creative in our lives. This means living fully in the present: there is no more present than the time we give to our own ambitions, or the time we spend on those we care about. Introduce the second element: if the room is full of darkness, introduce the concept of light into it. This will help you notice the possibility, and you won’t get stuck in the problem. The question is simple: Is your mind predisposed to problems or possibilities? Focusing on the positive won’t make the problem go away, but you’ll surely make it fade into the background of the picture. Remember that nothing great is achieved without the full power of our attention.

Learn to be ignorant. Don’t pretend to know what you really don’t know. Having the humility to recognize what we don’t know is particularly important in times of uncertainty. Remember that in the face of Black Swans , what we don’t know is more important than what we know. Learn to unlearn. Human beings tend to confuse maps (our mental models) with territory (reality). The models and beliefs we use in our daily lives are valid for known events, but we must have the humility to review them when we face Black Swans. The difficulty lies in the fact that, in the face of unforeseeable events, we do not know in advance where the map will be wrong, and the consequences of making mistakes. We are not well equipped to deal with uncertainty, but for practical reasons, we prefer to function with forecasts and predictions, even if they often turn out to be wrong.

It dissolves the boundaries between work and play. The difficulty of maintaining a balance between personal and professional life lies in the fact that we understand work, in a way, as a “non-life”. Many of the people who manage to fulfill most of their desires are those who have dissolved the boundaries between work and play. In other words, for them their professional activity is like a kind of game in which they enjoy like children, in the same way that Digital Natives learn by playing. Find out what your dream is and what your ambitions are. Use your fantasy and develop your hobby to get a sense of balance. It’s about a state of mind, and not just about organizing your schedule.

Buy a new newspaper every day. We love to receive those opinions that reinforce our own point of view, and that we believe are the correct version of reality. But to broaden your horizons, it’s much better to read a different newspaper every day, and magazines and books that you wouldn’t normally buy. A lot of great ideas have come this way. Apply the same philosophy to the people you meet with, and spend the most time with. In those encounters, are you going to learn something new, or are you just going to reaffirm your convictions? It’s essential that you abandon your

“Comfort zone”, the physical and, above all, mental space in which you feel comfortable, to dare to take a step further: spend your time talking to people who you know do not share your way of thinking, or who simply have a different approach to problems.

Do I have to rethink everything?

We don’t need to rethink everything all the time, over and over again. It would be exhausting. It’s simply about becoming aware: the solutions are already in our minds, we have the key, and we just need to bring it to light. To achieve this, we need to use a more positive and creative way of thinking. It’s about awakening your own ideas, and letting them come to the surface. Often, the solution isn’t in continuing to do everything “very well” as usual, but in changing the way you see and do things. All ideas are good until they’re no longer good. Only a new way of thinking can trigger innovation, unlocking all the brakes. Start today, right now. Try to tell yourself something new and different. If you succeed, you’ll already be on your way to becoming a genuine successful rethinker. There aren’t many alternatives.

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always achieved.

I recommend that you read/watch this interview with Nigel Barlow, conducted by Teresa Turiera for Infonomía.