Questioning Success: The Genius Formula

Extremely “smart” people have been a part of society from the earliest of times.

A few that come to mind include investor Warren Buffet, entertainer and Ph.D. Bill Cosby, physicist Marie Curie, Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Severo Ochoa, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and Renaissance man Leonardo DaVinci, an all-around tour de force.

Each of these exceptionally bright people made an important contribution to their respective field and is recognized as a leading thinker of their time.

These individuals of particularly high mental function are sometimes referred to as "geniuses."

Geniuses seem to have an uncanny ability to find chin-dropping answers to just about whatever challenge is thrown at them. They just seem to “get” it when others often don’t.

So, what exactly makes someone a “genius?” Are they born with incredible mental ability, or could they be individuals who learned to think differently than most? Many would say it’s probably a combination of both.

Definitions about what makes someone a qualified genius vary significantly depending on whom you ask. Some say to be considered in this elite status requires a score of 140 or more on a standard I.Q. test (the U.S. average is reportedly about 100).

Others say that there are, in fact, many different kinds of genius (i.e. mathematical, spatial, musical, social, verbal, etc.) and that one doesn't need to possess all traits to be considered gifted.

I agree with that argument. I believe that everyone – yes everyone – has the potential to be a genius in some way. We've all heard stories of the mentally "handicapped" person who is a gifted painter, athlete or mathematician (think "Rain Man"). So genius goes beyond academic intelligence. It is a way of thinking, too.

As I see it, explaining what enables someone to be a genius is pretty straightforward.

Genius is, fundamentally, an ability to see a situation from a great number of perspectives simultaneously. In turn this skill increases the ability to quickly do superior analysis of the information, which in turn enables them to find a wider variety of possible answers faster. That's really all it boils down to.

Some people are born “hard-wired” with this skill while others learn it. Think about it. Doesn’t it seem that geniuses see things in ways others don’t? Not in ways others can’t, mind you, but rather in ways others simply don't think to?

The unusual image with which Albert Einstein came up with the Theory of Relativity is a perfect example of thinking differently. He conjured up a mental picture of himself riding on a beam of light and thought, “Can I jump in front of the beam? Can I go faster than it?” Unusual thoughts? Certainly. Effective? History speaks to that.

We see examples of brilliance all around us today. How many times have you seen or heard of a new invention of some sort and said to yourself, "That's so obvious to me. How come I didn't think of that?"

You've probably had a similar thought on more than one occasion. We all have.

So why is it that another person came up with that million-dollar idea or solution that you also had the potential to create but didn't? I think the answer is really quite simple. Ready for this?

They asked better questions.

Here’s how it works. Our mind will always try to answer whatever question we ask it to. Go ahead, ask yourself a question and see if your mind doesn't want to immediately find an answer to it. See? It can’t help itself!

So if we want our mind to find different or better answers we simply need to ask it to look at things differently by asking it better questions. The good news is this something everyone can learn.

I spend of lot of my time speaking to and consulting organizations and individuals on how to ask more powerful questions, and here's the bottom line – When we train ourselves to look at something differently than we normally would, we automatically generate a new set of answers or solutions.

Can you say “genius?” Believe me, you have the potential to not only say it but to possess it as well.

In my book FlashPoint-Ignite Your Potential, (learn more at www.everyadvantage.net) I help the reader apply these principles to change how they think, to discover things that may be hindering their ability to succeed, and to create plans to achieve anything they set their mind to. Only by thinking differently will you ever change the results you get.

You may be familiar with Chinese definition of insanity. “Continuing to do the same things you’ve always done but expecting to get different results.” Things just don’t work that way.

Geniuses have the ability to ask better questions, because they've learned to think how to do that, and so can you.

Our mind is really just a computer. It’s programmed to answer whatever it’s asked to answer. In a similar way everything we think about, all the time, every day, every minute and every second, is either a question or an answer to a question. Really!

Here’s what you may be thinking right at this moment. “What’s this guy talking about? Wait, I just asked a question, didn't I? Whoops. Did it again! Could he be right? Should I keep reading? Yes!”

See what I mean?

Undisputed genius, Albert Einstein once said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” So let me leave you with a few thoughts that can help you start to become a genius at almost anything you put your mind to.

The following are some examples of how you can apply genius thinking:

1. Change the game. I used to run a bank. All banks, just like all service businesses, want to continually improve their customer service. So most ask the question, “How can we make our customer service better?” or “How can we make our customer service really special?” Not bad questions, but they’re the same old questions.

To conceive something better than traditional customer service answers I helped my people think a little differently by asking them, “What kind of service would we need to provide so that our customers are willing to pay admission to our lobbies?”

That unusual question changed the game, took my staff to a new way of thinking, and they came up with fresh answers that were incredibly powerful.

2. Find the opposite of the desired result. This is another powerful solution generating idea, and I used it for growing the business. In this case, I asked my people, “What would we need to do to drive away every customer we have?” They said, “What? Drive them away? I thought we wanted more customers’” and that’s exactly the point.

If you can come up with a list of everything that your customers would hate and then do the exact opposite, you will win more customers.

So instead of creating long lines, let’s find ways to shorten or eliminate them. Instead of making opening an account super complicated, let’s make it super simple. Rather than showing our customers no respect and being outright rude, let’s show incredible respect and go out of our way to be helpful and kind.

3. Challenge the dominant idea. Airlines used to have a thing about boarding their planes from the back of the cabin to the front. Why? I’m not sure, but I’d guess it has something to do with their definition of efficiency.

Then Southwest Airlines came along and said, “Why does it have to be that way?” and they started boarding passengers based on how early they showed up for the flight. Now that’s efficiency, because it encourages people to be on time.

Another example. Minivan owners used to have to get out of their car to open and close the sliding door to let kids get in and out. Then one of the carmakers (I think it was Pontiac) said, why should they have to do that? Can’t we make the door electronic so the driver can just press a button to open and close it? Now that feature is the standard on many different car brands.

I have to add one more because it’s a favorite of mind.

Television shows used to require a theme; to be about “something.” That was until Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David created “Seinfeld,” a show that was essentially about nothing at all other than the characters. That slight change in thinking created the most successful comedy series of all time.

The list of possible questions you can ask to find better answers is virtually infinite. Asking better questions will force your mind to look at things differently. And when you practice this skill, like everything else, you’ll get good at it.

Remember, nothing great has ever been accomplished without asking good questions. So start asking better questions – different questions – today and unleash the incredible genius you already have within you!

Ken Olan is CEO of Every Advantage, Inc. A company dedicated to helping organizations and individuals achieve their full potential. You can contact him at more@everyadvantage.net.