LYNDA GRATTON'S LESSON SUMMARISED

1. Leaders should look for ideas in unexpected places.

2. If leaders spend all their time with people who are like them and think like them, they won’t come upon new ideas.

3. It can be very difficult to move outside comfort zones and boundaries, but it is extremely important for leaders to do so.

4. Leaders should intentionally spend time with people who are different from them. They should mix with people who have different personalities and different interests, and who come from different organizations and countries.

5. When leaders open themselves up to the possibility of the unexpected coming in, when they give themselves space to experience new things and new people, they can be stimulated to come up with their best ideas – ideas they never would have had, if not making time for the unexpected.

More video lessons by Lynda Gratton can be found at Fifty Lessons and cwerty (registration required). Harvard Business School Press and Fifty Lessons have teamed up to produce three books based on the lessons; Managing your Career, Managing Change and Leading by Example.

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