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    Thinkingaire: 100 Game Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future
    Thinkingaire: 100 Game Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future
    Thinkingaire: 100 Game Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future
    Ebook443 pages18 hours

    Thinkingaire: 100 Game Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future

    By Pearl Zhu

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    About this ebook

    The term digital " THINKINGAIRES" we advocate in this book refers to the talented digital leaders and professionals who continue to create new ideas, to practice thought leadership, and to bring the world both content richness and context intelligence. They are the “IMAGINEERS” who can always come up with the fresh perspectives and think differently; they are the “VISIONEERS” who can digest, analyze and synthesize information and knowledge, to visualize the future clearly; they are the ENTREPRENEURS or INTRAPRENEURS who are creative in thinking about the alternative way to do things, and they are the “CHANGE AGENTS” who can create synergies from people, capability and the digital ecosystem that are greater than the sum of their parts. “THINKINGAIRE” is the guidebook to help digital leaders and professionals understand and cultivate digital thinking mindsets to compete for the future.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateSep 23, 2016
    ISBN9781483581811
    Thinkingaire: 100 Game Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future

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      Book preview

      Thinkingaire - Pearl Zhu

      Author

      THINKINGAIRE Introduction

      (100 Game-Changing Digital Mindsets to Compete for the Future)

      Change your thoughts and you change your world. - Norman Vincent Peale

      Figure 1 Thinkingares

      We have moved into the new digital age when information is abundant and where creativity becomes a baseline competence. The race of human against machine is ongoing. The knowledge life cycle is significantly shortened, and the pace of information technology is so rapid that no one can rest on a static mindset, past accomplishments, or the wishful thought that everything is perfect the way it is. Indeed, mindset is far more important than talent. Talent can always be developed by those who keep growth in mind. From talent management perspective, are mindful leaders or workers simply found in nature or nurtured? How do human beings think? Where do you draw the line about which aspect of human activity is conscious thought and which is mere reflex? How do you differentiate between well thought-out reflex and simple physiological reflex? Further, what happens when the basic needs are fulfilled? Do we stop thinking? What is the philosophy of mindfulness?

      The term digital "THINKINGAIRES we advocate in this book refers to the talented digital leaders and professionals who continue to create new ideas, to practice thought leadership, and to bring the world both content richness and context intelligence. They are the IMAGINEERS who can always come up with the fresh perspectives and think differently; they are the VISIONEERS who can digest, analyze and synthesize information and knowledge, to visualize the future clearly; they are the ENTREPRENEURS or INTRAPRENEURS who are creative in thinking about the alternative way to do things, and they are the CHANGE AGENTS who can create synergies from people, capability and the digital ecosystem that are greater than the sum of their parts. THINKINGAIRE" is the guidebook to help digital leaders and professionals understand and cultivate digital thinking mindsets to compete for the future:

      Figure 2 Digital Mindsets

      •Out-of-Box Thinking Minds : Out-of-Box is a shortened form, a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. Out-of -Box thinking implies a certain level of creativity or unconventional problem solving.

      •Systems Minds : Systems Thinking provides the holistic way to view problems, better and more accurate understanding of the overall situation via connecting parts and whole, better defining the problems and how you should go about solving them and in what sequence.

      •Hybrid Minds: Hybrid Thinking is a set of interdisciplinary and integrative thinking processes we will need to solve many of today’s complex problems, which require strategic consideration, systems intelligence, innovative approaches, cross-cultural and cross-generational perspectives, and multi-dimensional cognition.

      •Agile Minds : In a broader scope, agility is a philosophy of managing complexity and unpredictability through empiricism. Agility is the ability to adapt to the changes. Agile minds see the world through the lens of three "I’s: I nteraction, I mprovement and I nnovation. Agile is a new, radical style of leadership.

      •Intellectual Minds: Intelligence is the capacity to understand and apply wisdom to the knowledge you are exposed to. There are as many different ways to characterize intelligence as there are different types and forms of information impinging on our senses.

      •Highly Emotional Intelligent Minds: Emotional Intelligence in its simplest form is being aware of our emotions and managing them to get best out of the situation. It’s also about trying to understand other emotions and be empathetic.

      •Paradoxical Minds: The paradox is a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities. The paradox is the result of two opposing truths existing side by side, which can be both right. The paradox is also like the two sides of the coin, they are not just opposite, but also complementary, to make it a whole.

      •Progressive Minds: Progress represents change. Without change, one cannot even stagnate; she or he will be on a backward journey. Progress itself is change, whether it comes from individual or group efforts or is induced by environmental and cultural, tangible or intangible forces.

      •Metaphorical Minds : Psychologically, creative, metaphorical and poetic impulses and language congeal over time into systems of thought that take on a quality of being permanently true, through being institutionalized, systematized, and professionalized.

      •Professional Minds : A professional mind goes beyond professions, but we can always learn more about the thought processes from varying professionals as well. It takes a decade to grow a tree, and it takes more than one generation to shape the right mindset.

      •Anti-Digital Mindsets : Digital Transformation requires mind shift. In addition to the set point changing, transformation requires first shifting mindsets, and then building new capabilities & skills, reinforcing and embedding new practices and reflexes.

      •Mind vs. Mind : It’s hard to say when we can make an ‘apple to apple’ comparison of mind vs. mind. The truth is that each of us is a complex blend of contrasts - positive and negative; intuitive and logical with imperfect judgment.

      We live in an era where often the mind is lagging far behind the speed of the internet. It must be acknowledged that changing mindsets can be a very long process: it takes both vision and strategy. It occurs only through a dialogical process. It requires a devotion to fairness, correctness, truth, progress and solid respect for fundamental rights. Change happens when mindsets turn into mind flow. You have to start with creating an awareness of the need for mind shift. You must change the belief that causes the thought and creates the emotion. Once the belief has changed, the reaction will automatically change. Many neuroscientists believe the essence of who we are, the memory, the personality, the emotion, the thinking process, and even the consciousness lie in those brain patterns. The saying necessity is the mother of invention might give a clue as to what motivates us to think. When the neurons in the brain start clicking and connecting, the thought is created; thoughts piled upon the thought forms inside your mind; and when the mind keeps wondering and growing, it enlarges who we are; our brain is part of our body, but our mind strengthens us as a being. The mind is probably not the brain alone. It may also be a whole-body phenomenon, with inputs from the environment as well. The brain is to mind as the eye is to sight. The brain is the hardware and the mind is the software with the totality constantly in action, hardware plus software. To look for the mind strictly within the brain, seems then as silly as looking for the music between the strings of a piano. The mind is much more than an active brain. The brain is like the hands that make the bread; the mind has the knowledge of how to do it. The brain belongs to the body, the mind to the heart. So it’s quite sobering to think that the vast majority of these thoughts we have each day are unplanned and completely random. Everyone can take the time to listen to and create some space to realign what is important to each of us: What do we value? What is our purpose in life? We learn our beliefs and most are learned and ingrained in our minds at a very young age. Some of these beliefs are developed from misinterpretations of what we see, hear and experience. Too often, we operate on autopilot, with our thoughts, emotions and decisions coming from a subconscious level - accurate or not. Unfortunately, these learned beliefs oftentimes limit our minds, forming our biases, or blind us from seeing the other side of a coin.

      The purpose of this book "Thinkingaire" is not to study the brain from a neurologist’s perspective, but to summarize the different thought processes from the digital management viewpoint, to help digital leaders and professionals cross-industry, cross-generation and cross-culture shape the 100 sets of game-changing digital minds to compete for the future.

      Chapter 1 Out of Box Thinking Minds: We live now in the Big Data digital era: What happens when our brain faces dealing with the overwhelming explosive data? Raw data is the lowest grade of ore. It requires massive filtering, sorting, condensing and refining before it can be put to usage. By peeling back layer after layer, individuals and organizations can discover why they think, feel and operate the way they do. Once they find where a particular belief originated, it’s easier to realize that beliefs can change. By changing their thinking, they change the beliefs and change the emotions leading to different decisions, different outcomes, and become more self-aware and self-improving persons, with the digital mind. Everyone has the ability to change their mindsets. Because every person has degrees of both open and closed mindsets in different contexts. Tied into this is the degree of resistance to change. Knowledge is the key to changing mindsets, biases, prejudices. We are all works in progress; learning, growing and changing.

      Chapter 2 Systems Minds: Systems Thinking (ST) provides the more holistic way to view problems. Systems Thinking provides better and more accurate understanding of the overall situation, better defining the problems and how you should go about solving them and in what sequence. Systems Thinking provides a structured process and consideration of the range of options. The application of Systems Thinking in a structured and systematic process allow a more complete and holistic approach to being taken. The main emphasis is in doing better pre-work –such as defining the situation and the success criteria. Taking consideration of a range of options — rather than the more traditional jump to a solution problem-solving method. Systems Thinking seeks to observe the organization from outside-in. It encourages the observer to see himself/herself as part of the system. To put it simply, Systems Thinking is to understand the relationship between the parts and the whole: it is an outside-in perspective of interconnectivity and interdependence in a system.

      Chapter 3 Hybrid Minds: The Digital Era is the hybrid era: the physical world is blurring with virtual world; the work life is blurring with personal life, and the hard disciplines such as science and engineering are blurring with soft disciplines such as art and philosophy, etc. And to dig into the mind level, the Hybrid Thinking can combine different thinking patterns in order to analyze and synthesize for effective problem-solving. Hybrid Thinking is a set of interdisciplinary and integrative thinking processes we will need to solve many of today’s complex problems, which require strategic consideration, systems intelligence, innovative approaches, cross-cultural and cross-generational perspectives, and multi-dimensional cognition. In this chapter, we will introduce a variety of types of Hybrid Thinking that can be used in solving complex problems and making tough decisions.

      Chapter 4 Agile Minds: Agile is the state of mind. agility is a philosophy of managing complexity and unpredictability through empiricism. Agility is the ability to adapt to the changes. Agile minds see the world through the lens of three "I’s: Interaction, Improvement and Innovation. Agile is a new, radical style of leadership. Instead of command-and-control, agile focuses on team collaboration, independence and autonomy. It’s an entirely different mindset for many organizations: trying to ‘do agile’ instead of ‘be agile’ will lead to failure. It is crucial for successful adoption of a better way of working that the people in the organization begin to first embrace the values and principles relating to the agile mindset, and then they look at the set of practices which will work for them at the level they are at.

      Chapter 5 Intellectual Minds: Intelligence has been defined in several ways. First intelligence is a cognitive process involving rational and abstract thinking. Second, it is goal-directed and purposeful, which means that all intelligent activities are planned to reach a self-determined goal. Finally, it involves social competence, to help individuals adjust to their environmental surroundings. Intelligence is the word we use to describe the potential ability. Intelligence is the capacity to understand and apply wisdom to the knowledge you are exposed to. There are as many different ways to characterize intelligence as there are different types and forms of information impinging on our senses. Our intelligence concerning any given type of information is a function of our capacity to recognize and interpret patterns, and our consequent ability to use the perceived information.

      Chapter 6 Highly Emotional Intelligent Minds: Emotional Intelligence in its simplest form is being aware of our emotions and managing them to get best out of the situation. It’s also about trying to understand other emotions and be empathetic. EQ becomes more critical for leading in today’s digital dynamic with its characteristics of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. But how can we dig deeper into a high EQ mindset? Is Emotional Intelligence fundamentally inherent, hardwired? Can it be trained to some extent? Or is it circumstantial? A high EQ mind drives digital thinking to keep you motivated: Emotional Intelligence has tremendous relevance in today’s world. High EQ drives a positive mindset and keeps you motivated about life. It allows you to maintain your composure whatever be the situation, whether you are being glorified or vilified. Not reacting too emotionally when he or she receives strong praise, nor gets extremely dejected about anything. It is a hallmark of a leader with supreme EQ.

      Chapter 7 Paradoxical Minds: The paradox is a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities. The paradox is the result of two opposing truths existing side by side, which can be both right. The paradox is also like the two sides of the coin, they are not just opposite, but also complementary, to make it a whole. At a silo, perhaps you only see or understand one side, believe it is right, and then assume the other side must be wrong. But if you stand at the right angle to see the both sides, you know even they are different, but both hold part of truth in it. Digital now just like the new window, provides a multidimensional view to see things and the world differently. Therefore, digital is the age of empathy. Acceptance is the key - acceptance of others as they are, without prejudice or destructive criticism, acceptance of self as an indefatigable spirit, acceptance that paradoxes are two sides of the same coin and that complexities are the spice of life.

      Chapter 8 Progressive Minds: Most often, progress is not a universal truth, but a relative truth. What happens is that we think that progress is being made, but then we don’t see progress, because your type of progress may not be a progress at all to someone else. Every endeavor has benefited some but not all mankind, which makes the progress that is accomplished relative and not absolute. From the business perspective, the progress made through a silo mind can only benefit the individual function. However, progress at an organizational level ensures the business as a whole is superior to the sum of its pieces. Real societal progress is made through the work of progressive minds, which can sustain a balance of diversified viewpoints, creativity, and discipline; opportunity and risk; individualism and teamwork; democracy and unification; science and art; spirit and reality; intuition and analytics. Through such an ongoing, dynamic balance of viewpoint and disciplines, human progress can be sustained and the world can move forward with solid speed.

      Chapter 9 Metaphorical Minds: As Einstein wisely put, We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. Psychologically, creative, metaphorical and poetic impulses and language congeal over time into systems of thought that take on a quality of being permanently true, through being institutionalized, systematized, and professionalized. Through communicating problems with words clearly and vividly to other minds, and reframing the question with new levels of thinking, the fresh mind with a cognitive difference can perhaps solve the problem seamlessly.

      Chapter 10 Professional Minds: Generally speaking, a profession is any type of work that needs special training or particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves ?a high level of education. To dig even deeper, there is a set of professional mindsets which get trained and sharpened can uplift digital progress and improve both business and societal maturity. On the other side, the unprofessional mindset has less to do with the profession itself, but more about the lack of wisdom and make a negative influence in the workplace. And it has some common symptoms and out-of-date thought processes.

      Chapter 11 Anti-Digital Mindsets: Digital Transformation requires mind shift. In addition to the set point changing, transformation requires first shifting mindsets, and then building new capabilities & skills, reinforcing and embedding new practices and reflexes. From the perspective of the industrial age, the problem lies with the Taylorism mindset of scientific management, where everything can be controlled. Thus, to bring order into the world of complexity means pushing harder in the process. The problems with those thought processes are "status quo’ type of thinking, authoritarian behavior, and bureaucratic decision-making.

      Chapter 12 Mind vs. Mind: People are different, not because we look different, but more crucially, we think differently. The variety of thought makes the world diversified, innovative, and sophisticated. When we use our different perspectives to complement each other’s thinking we can overcome common challenges facing humankind, but when we misunderstand each other, it causes chaos, conflict, and even man-made disaster. The brain is only an organic computer that creates energy or an operating system called the mind. The mind then creates programs we call our thoughts. We can change our thoughts just as we can change applications on a computer. It’s hard to say when we can make an ‘apple to apple’ comparison of mind vs. mind. The truth is that each of us is a complex blend of contrasts - positive and negative; intuitive and logical with imperfect judgment. We all want to believe that our judgment is perfect, yet none of us can claim to be a perfect character. But we can always learn about complementary thinking from other minds.

      We live now in the Big Data digital era: What happens when our brain faces dealing with the overwhelming explosive data? Raw data is the lowest grade of ore. It requires massive filtering, sorting, condensing and refining before it can be put to usage. By peeling back layer after layer, individuals and organizations can discover why they think, feel and operate the way they do. Once they find where a particular belief originated, it’s easier to realize that beliefs can change. By changing their thinking, they change the beliefs and change the emotions leading to different decisions, different outcomes, and become more self-aware and self-improving persons, with the digital mind. Everyone has the ability to change their mindsets. Because every person has degrees of both open and closed mindsets in different contexts. Tied into this is the degree of resistance to change. Knowledge is the key to changing mindsets, biases, prejudices. We are all works in progress; learning, growing and changing.

      Chapter 1 Out of Box Thinking Minds

      Creativity has often been analogized as thinking outside of the box.

      Figure 3 Out of Box Thinking Minds

      Out-of-Box is a shortened form, a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. Out-of -Box thinking implies a certain level of creativity or unconventional problem solving. The box is a blanket term for anything that the average person might come up with, without any clear notion of being truly creative. When someone asks you to think outside the box, they’re telling you to throw conventional wisdom and pure linear logic out the window for a while, and to let the creative mind run free. The resulting ideas won’t all be usable, but they will serve as a starting point for logic to return to see which ideas can be applied to the problem. In short terms, this is brainstorming on steroids.

      The box is a mental construct made up of personal (self-imposed) and environmental (culture imposed, parental influence, society) components that one operates within, so thinking outside the box means doing something outside of the confines of the construct. Most often, the box is your safety net and your comfort zone. The things are ok and everyone agrees and has the same or similar thoughts. Seen from outside, it’s a boring tiny space with very little innovative thought going on inside it. In fact, it’s easy for everything in the box to turn stale and stagnant. Great things don’t happen inside your comfort zone or in a box; typically, it’s associated with convention further constrained within context. Fundamentally, the box is the set of rules you are abiding by at any moment in time, by breaking down those old rules, your mind is set free to create the new ideas that arising from identifying and challenging assumptions and then generating more possibilities. However, without the box of rules, can you really generate more useful and achievable ideas? Is there anything as too much out-of-the-box thinking?

      While the box is usually conceptualized as an intellectual boundary, it is most often an emotional one, with fear as the dominant emotion, It is fear that is the glue that holds the box together. With fear gone, people don’t suddenly become creative, but you have a shot. It doesn’t matter if the idea is original or mundane, if there is nothing to compare or relate it to. Too much thinking outside the box can get you to solitude, and too little can make you ignorant. There needs to be context, balance and known parameters, so it can be judged if the result is cliché, inside the box thinking, outside the box thinking, or incomprehensible.

      More precisely, it’s about continuing to break down the outdated old box, and shape the new box thinking to discover alternatives and solve complex problems with creativity and collaboration. Most of the time, the unsolved thorny issue isn’t that people are staring at the problem too long, it is that the problem isn’t really clear in the first place. Everyone on a team will have a different interpretation of what the problem is and staring at an unclear problem goes nowhere. Instead, of jumping too quickly into solution mode, we need to first make sure everyone is really clear on what the problem is. And the best way to reframe the recalcitrant problem is to apply out-of-box thinking. Albert Einstein wisely put it, "We cannot solve the problems with the same thinking we used when you created them. To keep creativity flowing, we will introduce a set of Out-of-Box" thinking in this book.

      (1) Original Thinking

      (2) Intuitive Thinking

      (3) Creative Thinking

      (4) Connecting Thinking

      (5) Authentic Thinking

      (6) Inquisitive Thinking

      (7) Independent Thinking

      (8) Imaginable Thinking

      (9) Design Thinking

      (10) High-Potential Thinking

      1 Out-of-Box Thinking Mind

      The boxes are the walls in your mind.

      Every mind creates a certain box, some smaller, some bigger; the box starts to be set-up at a very early age, by your surroundings, the education you received, the people you interacted with and the standards by which you lived. These boxes are the walls in your mind. Walls in your mind are constructed by societal conditioning (rules imposed by parents, teachers, leaders, media, books, etc.). When you allow information to be accepted as absolute truth without first using critical thinking and independent thinking, it inhibits your ability to think creatively. So in order to think out of the box, you have to clarify what’s inside your box in the first place.

      •Shape a newer box of thinking: Out-of-Box Thinking is really just shaping a bigger box, a new box with more room for thinking. There are always limits we can’t see, but try changing your own box for a much bigger one. One question to always ask when we talk about getting out of the box is WHAT exactly is in the box. Businesses regularly forget what’s in it. It’s difficult to think outside the box from within. Invite others in, or get out of the box. And then, look for answers beyond the light you see when you first jump out of the box, not just at what your eyes are still blinking at. Look around, look above and look deeper. For real creativity, take a look outside your industry - far outside your industry. If you have to, pull the whole team out of the box. That’s when the real ideas work. Out-of-Box thinking keeps creativity flowing! Great ideas only happen outside of the usual restraints. Start with, What if ..., and see where it takes you. Only then can you start weeding out the bizarre and start tweaking sound ideas into reality. The point is to not be unduly constrained in your thinking, but at the same time, not to lose sight of the objective you’re after. The box keeps changing. In today’s competitive environment, what was outside the box yesterday, may not be today. Our thinking has to continuously evolve, adapt, and prepare for changes. There’re no such things as too much outside the box thinking, but it’s also important to shape the newer box to stay focused.

      •Out-of-Box" thinking still needs to have logic : There’s nothing wrong with lots of wild out-of-the-box creative ideas, as long as you couple that with some good analytical thinking. While there may not be a clear path, there has to be a target. The most effective brainstorming is focused on a clear and intentional objective. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of spending too much time and effort chasing down bad ideas. Think of it as going from divergent thinking (out-of-the-box) to convergent thinking, where you filter or funnel down the ideas to those that connect with your capabilities. But don’t get too restricted by logical processes. Don’t constrain new ideas with considerations that belong one or more steps ahead. The real kicker during the logical process is applying reasonable time constraints, but allowing the freedom that no-idea-is-a-bad-idea brings to the process of having the team solve a collective problem. It’s fundamental to be sure to get all potential perspectives involved, so everyone has a say and no one can say they weren’t asked. Management is really open-minded to implementing fresh new ideas, if they solve a real problem. It often comes down to two things: being explicit about purpose, and sincerity in problem-solving. Regardless of what technique folks use to solve a problem, in most cases, the question is, What is the purpose we are striving for? Laser focus on goals, not processes.

      •Step into others’ boxes to gain the new insight : Often a problem is seen very differently by two different parties. By stepping outside your own box and getting into their box, a solution becomes obvious. Then you can get back in your own box and think how that solution will work for you. It’s almost always possible to see a mutually beneficial solution, or one solution with two parts to it: one for each of you. This method works particularly well with complex problems and the results can be surprising. Sometimes two parties who start off diametrically opposed end up working together on a solution that suits them both. Hence, cross-functional brainstorming leads to out -of -box innovation.

      •Thinking has natural cross-box interaction : Thinking outside the box and brainstorming is approached very differently by the digital workforce, because today’s employees search for connections across many discussions at the same time, sometimes in one short burst at a time. The native digital generation solves problems differently from older generations. They view the group as very important and hierarchy is less identifiable or important. There’s also the need to add another level to the discussion, which is continuous improvement. The critical concern for successful brainstorming is to make sure none of the people in the room are intimidated and unable to participate. At organizations with hierarchical culture, it’s sometimes necessary to group people by level in the organization, avoiding putting bosses and staff in the same group. This helps avoid the often unintentional intimidation staff may feel presenting ideas around superiors. The group can and should be as cross functional as seems appropriate. However, people are less guarded when they do not feel judged, and the reluctance to test ideas is reduced when people aren’t concerned about appearing less prepared or like they will be judged. Humans have egos. The idea of brainstorming or the crucible of confrontation can be useful, but in order to guide the participants through the stages of it, you still need, paradoxically, a structured process for unstructured thinking. Otherwise, things such as personality dynamics, seniority, grade etc will limit its potential. Maximum value can occur only if one follows a logical process that incorporates brainstorming.

      Thinking outside of box means you are in a continuous learning mode, that embraces both critical thinking and creative thinking. When one leaves the usual thoughts and standards to seek additional knowledge and experience, they are stepping Out-of-Box to unfamiliar territory. We all should broaden our points of interest and try new things to expand our thinking box. Thinking Out-of-Box, is simply part of a well-rounded paradigm. It is not only the ideas that are important, but the challenge and the willingness to try, the atmosphere in which the ideas are presented, the mindset that moves away from fear and mediocrity, and a culture that catalyzes innovation, that leads to a better mutual understanding and more advanced society for all humanity.

      2. An Original Thinking Mind

      Be original, the world worships the original. -Ingrid Bergman.

      The word, Original, comes from origin. What we probably mean when we say original thinker is to originate our own thoughts. In other words, make our own mind up, or formulate our own conclusions, ideas, or expressions. Original thinking is independent, creative, special or different. The world needs more original thinkers than ever to handle the ever increasing complexities of our lives, and organizations need to be able to recognize original thinker, not least in order to innovate and adapt, but to demystify creativity in a way that makes it feel more approachable, understandable, and generally applicable.

      •Originality is as valuable as authenticity: It is not easy to recognize original thinkers, and it becomes more difficult as most modern people are too busy to even think and observe. Original thinking is a tough job and recognizing original thinking is equally tough if not more. Points like individual characteristics, personality, confidence and motivation can be indicators of original thinking. It stands out if someone is conscious, alert and has the inclination to search for excellence. Originality is as valuable as authenticity. Be true to your own personality, spirit, or character. Rather than seeing authenticity as a negative reason for rejection of the expectations of others, think of authenticity as a positive outcome of enlightened and informed motivation. Having the courage to use your own intelligence is, therefore, the touchstone of enlightenment.

      •Metacognition, or learning how to learn, is a vital element of understanding originality: Understanding how we think is the first stage of understanding our creative style - how we approach and solve problems and embrace opportunities. It is the process of being open to wonder, It is like setting time aside to allow an idea or a problem to incubate. It is a combination of immediate learning giving way to advancing insight. It is also a combination of conscious awareness and creativity, the art is in the conscious proceeding. Is original thinking sort of integrative thinking, a heuristic process, and not an algorithm? The integrative thinker develops a stance that embraces, not fears, the essential qualities of enigmatic choices. The integrative thinker is a relentless learner, who seeks to develop the repertoire of skills that enables him or her to engage the tensions between opposites long enough to transcend duality and seek out novel solutions. Original thinkers understand that they are engaged in a creative process that avoids easy, pat, or formulaic answers. In short, original thinking is the management style we need if we are to solve the puzzling problems that face our organizations in the new millennium. The real goal of original thinking is effective thinking and problem-solving:

      -Identify the problem: What’s the real question?

      - Define the context: What are the facts and circumstances?

      - Enumerate choices: What are our most plausible three or four options?

      - Analyze options: What is our best course of action?

      - List reasons explicitly: Let’s be clear: Why is this choice?

      - Self-correct: What did we miss?

      •Who are the Original Thinkers? Original Thinkers are those who come up with conclusions and solutions for problems with their own unique brain processes. Nearly all thoughts come from some sort of internal or external stimulus. Thus, the seeds of original thinking may come from the unoriginal input, but it is the dot-connecting capability to synthesize the unoriginal input into a unique output that makes one an original thinker. What might be the traits,

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