Brain Food Wednesday Newsletter Unlocking Your Problem-Solving Potential

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Dear Reader,

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Unlocking Your Problem-Solving Potential: The Power of Leadership Reading
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Greetings, Brain Food enthusiasts! In today’s edition, issue 198, I delve into the art of problem-solving and creativity. We all encounter challenges in our personal and professional lives, and the ability to navigate them effectively is a skill worth sharpening. To aid you in this journey, I talk about “Leadership Reading” – a strategic approach to gathering information and solving problems efficiently. Sign-up for the leadership reading workshop today!​
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Do You Have an Important Problem to Solve?
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Problem-solving skills are indispensable in both personal and professional areas. Various creativity and problem-solving models exist, but today, we focus on “Five Steps to Producing Ideas,” as outlined by James Webb Young in his book, “A Technique for Producing Ideas.”
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Step 1: Gather New Materials – Preparation
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Imagine you have a problem or challenge at hand. The first step is gathering materials:

• Define the problem or issue.
• Collect specific information related to your problem.
• Gather general information from various fields. This is a lifelong process.
• Identify experts to interview.
• Research similar cases from other industries.
• Use external sources like books, articles, podcasts, and videos.
• By combining specific and general knowledge, you create a fertile ground for generating new ideas.
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Step 2: Look at the Information in Different Ways
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Now that you’ve gathered information, it’s time to analyze it:

• Carefully review all collected information.
• Note important facts and insights.
• Approach the information from multiple angles.
• Experiment by combining different facts.
• Document partial ideas, no matter how unconventional they may seem.
• Keep working until you feel you’ve exhausted your current perspective.
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Step 3: Put the Problem Completely Out of Your Mind – Incubate
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Give your subconscious mind the space it needs.

• Take a break from the problem.
• Engage in unrelated tasks.
• Stimulate your imagination and emotions.
• Explore creative outlets like music, theater, movies, or poetry.
• Allow your mind to incubate the problem while you step away.

Step 4: The Idea Appears Out of Nowhere – Illumination
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Trust the process:

• Out of the blue, an idea may strike you.
• This “aha” moment results from your prior efforts.
• You’ve done the groundwork, and now the idea emerges.

Step 5: Take Your Idea to the World/Shaping and Developing the Idea – Verification
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Your initial idea may need refinement:

• Work on improving and shaping it.
• Subject it to criticism and testing.
• Refine the idea until it’s ready for implementation.
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Two Types of People: Speculators and Rentiers
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James Webb Young also classifies individuals into two categories: speculators and rentiers.

Speculators:
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• Embrace new combinations and possibilities.
• Engage in innovation, inventions, and change.
• Thrive on transformation and new ideas.
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Rentiers:
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• Prefer routines and the status quo.
• Steady and unimaginative.
• Resist change and innovation.
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To master the creative process and generate new ideas, understanding whether you align more with speculators or rentiers is essential. Speculators thrive on change and adaptation, while rentiers prefer stability.
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Conclusion
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Your ability to strategically read, gather information, and solve problems can be a game-changer in your career. Leadership reading allows you to approach challenges with a purposeful mindset, creating opportunities for innovative solutions. So, are you a speculator or a rentier? Embrace your role and let it guide your problem-solving journey.
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Stay tuned for more Brain Food next Wednesday!
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Warm regards,

Avil Beckford

Brain Food Wednesday Editor

Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor & Art of Learning Leadership Academy

​theinvisiblementor.com artoflearningleadershipacademy.com​

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