The Creator Mindset

Sharing my learnings from the book, The Creator Mindset by Nir Bashan

The Creator Mindset by Nir Bashan

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by vague advice to “think outside the box,” The Creator Mindset can help put you on a proven track to harnessing your best, most creative ideas, and feel confident you’re performing to your fullest potential―analytically and creatively.

• far from being something that only artists possess, creativity is in fact an essential ingredient in any successful career or business.
• In a world where ideas can be more valuable than physical goods and where consumer tastes change faster than the market can keep up, it’s essential that businesses become more creative, adaptive and flexible if they’re to survive
• Creativity is what drives innovation and it’s creativity that gives a brand its unique and individual character. You’ll never win consumers over with numbers & arguments. But creativity? That will always strike an emotional chord
• creativity is as central to the human experience as eating & breathing. Creative thinking & analytical thinking aren’t actually opposites. They’re 2 components of the process of problem solving.
  • creativity – envision possible solutions
  • analytical – take steps to realize a solution
• many people miss opportunities in business because they’re hyper fixated on a narrow vision of success. But when you start to think about your goals creatively, all sorts of unexpected paths will open to you
• you can unleash your creative side by overcoming your fear of making mistakes. if children are more creative than adults, it’s not because they have a superior imagination. They just don’t suffer from self doubt and fear to the extent that adults do. In this respect, we could all afford to be more like children
• mistakes aren’t failures. In fact, they’re a sign that you’re doing things right. If you’re making mistakes, it means you’re trying things. You’re learning, experimenting and stepping out of your comfort zone. Mistakes are integral to the process of creativity
• People are the most valuable asset a business has because they possess something that none of those other things ever will – creativity. The one quality that all leaders definitely should avoid having is a big ego. If leaders want to encourage creativity in their business, they need to be a lot more flexible and generous in their point of view. They need to cultivate humor, empathy and courage.
  • humor is essential for creating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable being themselves & safe making mistakes
  • empathy promotes creativity because it makes you more receptive to the creativity that’s already there around you
  • courage to accept that your way isn’t necessarily the best or most efficient abs to take risks on new and untested ideas
• trinity of creativity
  • concept – what you see when you take a “bird’s eye view”
  • idea – more like street view on Google Map. you can see business unfolding week to week and month to month
  • execution – microscopic viewpoint. Consists of the product itself
• business leaders must be ready to embrace good ideas whenever they emerge. The mindset ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it? Isn’t relevant anymore. Technology is going to change, public taste is going to move on and other businesses are going to sprint up that might do what you do – but better. So while success is obviously good for business, you have to be careful. In the end, the only answer to complacency in business is to keep the spirit of creativity and innovation alive
• in times of crisis, creativity will help your business not just survive, but thrive. The way you respond to a crisis will determine your business’ future. Respond poorly and it could sink your business. But respond creatively, and it could propel your company to greater heights