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May 10, 2009

"Over time and cultures, the most robust and most effective form of communication is the creation of a powerful narrative." --Howard Gardner

Extraordinary Minds

Mozart, Freud, Virginia Woolf and Gandhi. Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard, in one of his books, "Extraordinary Minds," examines these four people of tremendous ability. Using these four extraordinary, but very different, people, he attempts to answer a question once posed by Plato and still asked today: Is there a set of traits that is shared among all great achievers no matter how different their achievements? The book asserts that leaders do share a significant number of characteristics, including the ability to tell stories that engage others and compel them to act or feel. What follows is a "Strategy and Business" article that shares a conversation with Professor Gardner about leadership and problem-solving.