Hi

As a lifelong learner, I’m starting this series of emails with Think Again by Adam Grant because he makes a compelling case for why each of us should continually question old assumptions and embrace new ideas and perspectives.

As Brene Brown says “...we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it.”

But this ability to keep an open mind and question long-held beliefs isn’t just a valuable skill to re-evaluate our opinions about global issues. We should also, as business owners, question our assumptions about our strategy, market and business model.

But do we do this often enough?. The comfort of conviction is often preferable to the discomfort of doubt. And intelligence is no help; often being bright can make us blind to our limitations.

As Grant says; “Intelligence is traditionally viewed as the ability to think and learn. Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to unthink and unlearn.

Think Again invites us to let go of old opinions and limiting beliefs and prize mental flexibility, humility and curiosity. Grant concludes: “If knowledge is power, knowing what you don’t know is wisdom.”

If you enjoy reading a book that will challenge you to think differently, Think Again would be a good choice.

Noel Guilford

PS This week I am reading… is an occasional e-mail series about books I am reading that are thought provoking.