It’s time most of us, and especially those leading the way, start to think with a “different set of muscles”. Doing more of the same, and not getting the results we hope for, is not going to get us very far. Especially not if we want to change the world and make an impact for the better.
I’ve been following the work of Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner for a while now, since I read their first book “Freakonomics” and then been delighted with their podcast “Freakonomics Radio”.
“Think like a Freak”, their third book, gives a set of valuable points to keep in mind to exercise our thinking styles, and specifically to avoid the herd mentality. Steven and Stephen point out that they don’t know all the answers, but they know a way of thinking that is uncovering more and more of the right answers to the right questions.
The book is easy reading, and it covers many of the ways to solve problems that you may have heard before, and that are used to think differently. They share some new research alongside some old classics. And as Dubner does so well, they demonstrate their points through many stories, some entertaining at times, and others a bit shocking, which point out the muscles you need to start flexing.
They cover points like the hardest (but most useful) words to say, identifying the correct problems, finding the root causes and how this is so often overlooked, and incentives.
They bring in how having fun is important, keeping things simple, persuading others – or not, and why you should quit.
There are helpful strategies to follow, like the pre-mortem exercise where you identify how you are going to fail before you do so. And you’ll even learn how to eat a hotdog really fast!
So if you need a refresher of how to think differently about a problem or are new to thinking out the box, this is a good read to get going.
About the Author:
Telana is a dynamic, transformational Personal Coach and Blogger who specializes in communicating and relating. She helps people have no regrets in life by having conversations that count. Follow her on Twitter or her podcast show, Let’s Talk Communication.
