The Idea Hunter How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen

by Boynton, Andy; Fischer, Bill; Bole, William

• ISBN13: 9780470767764
• ISBN10: 0470767766
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-26
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Jack Welch once said that, "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 wo 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. Explains why ideas are a critical asset for every manager and professional, not just those who do "creative" Shows how to expand your capacity to find and develop winning business ideas Reveals the useful pneumonic I-D-E-A: Interest - use your intellectual curiosity; Diversity, get ideas from a mix of sources, not just in the usual places; Exercise-build your idea muscles by always immersing yourself in new ideas and by surrounding yourself with others who do the same; Agile- be prepared to rethink, change, and adapt your ideas Ihow to seek out and select the ideas that best serve your purposes and goals -- and define who you are, as a professionalThe book is filled with illustrative accounts of successful Idea Hunters and stories from thriving "idea" companies. Warren Buffet, Walt Disney, Thomas, Edison, Pixar among others are profiled.

Author Biography

Andy Boynton is the dean of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He was a professor of strategic leadership at IMD (International Institute for Management Development) in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he created and directed the school's highly-rated global Executive MBA program.

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, inShanghai, China.

William Bole is a journalist and a research fellow of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics at Boston College.

Table of Contents

Preface: Why Hunt?	p. xi
Introduction: Brilliance Not Required	p. 1
Already Out There	p. 3
Ready to Unlearn	p. 7
Know Your Gig	p. 11
The Discernment	p. 13
The Circle of Competence	p. 17
Gigs Matter	p. 19
The I-D-E-A Principles
Interested
Be Interested, Not Just Interesting	p. 25
Curiosity at the Trading Post	p. 28
Learning Machines	p. 29
Your Brain Is Open	p. 33
Defining Your Own Hunt	p. 36
Selling the Best Hour of the Day to Yourself	p. 39
Diverse
Diversifying the Hunt	p. 47
The Color of Your Ideas	p. 49
When Weak Ties Are Strong	p. 51
Widening Your Intellectual Bandwidth	p. 54
Bridging Distant Worlds	p. 58
Ideas Are Everywhere	p. 61
The I's and T's	p. 65
Exercised
Mastering the Habits of the Hunt	p. 71
The Practice of Ideas	p. 73
Begin with an Eye	p. 75
Observing at the Ritz	p. 77
Erecting a Personal Platform of Observation	p. 80
Write It Down	p. 83
Get It Moving	p. 86
Observe Yourself	p. 88
Assembling an Idea Portfolio	p. 91
Agile
Idea Flow Is Critical	p. 101
The Case of the Guitar Strings	p. 104
Creating Idea Spaces at Pixar	p. 106
Finding the ôInformal Bossesö	p. 110
Letting Ideas Percolate	p. 112
When It's Time to ôKillö Ideas	p. 115
Ready, Set, Launch	p. 121
Create Great Conversations	p. 129
ôContinuersö and ôTerminatorsö	p. 132
The Value of a Naïve Question	p. 136
Preparing for the Big Conversation	p. 138
Epilogue: Thoreau and the I-D-E-A Assessment	p. 143
References	p. 151
Acknowledgments	p. 161
About the Authors	p. 165
Index	p. 167
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