Thursday, May 05, 2011

Does curiosity trump intelligence?

I'm looking forward to a new book from Andy Boynton (Dean of Boston College's School of Management) and Bill Fischer (Professor at IMD).  The book is titled, The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make Them HappenAccording to the authors, highly intelligent people can become very wedded to formulas that have been very effective for them in the past.  That success may deter them from hunting around for new ideas.   Boynton and Fischer argue that innovation comes from people who are fundamentally curious. They inquire, ask questions, and examine situations from varied perspectives.  They keep their minds open to new ideas that might just be around them in their environment.  They scan for those ideas and consider them thoughtfully.  Intellectual curiosity matters a great deal, perhaps more than intelligence itself.  What do you think?   If you are like me, you are intrigued by the premise, and you'll take a look at the book.  I'll be sure to comment further on the book when I've finished reading it.

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