IDEA!

IT IS NOW 1984!

"Psssssttt!  Keep your voice down...someone may overhear us....listen.....

 I have a great idea I want to share with you.  Listen carefully.  Tell no one about this as I want YOU to be part of this.  I have a plan…

I have designed something so GREAT that I reckon it will sell millions.  This is it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Well?  Great idea huh?
These turtles are big, human size.
They carry backpacks instead of shells and they keep all manner of stuff in them.
They are named after Italian Renaissance painters.
They wear blindfolds so nobody recognises them (!).
Their boss is a RAT!
They live in the sewers.
They ONLY eat Pizza.
They do Kung Fu.
They fight crime.
All I need is $20,000…are you IN???"

I have a pretty good idea what most people would say.  ‘What? Are you nuts? $20K??’

Do you know who said ‘NO’ to that idea?  Every major toy manufacturer including Hasbro; the largest toy manufacturer at the time.  (They later changed their mind when they had become successful and they took over the merchandising.)

That stupid idea was seen as a great idea by a small visionary toy manufacturer called Playmates Toys and marketed.  The rest is history, to the tune of all manner of merchandise, TV series, movies, records and millions of dollars.

Napoleon Hill wrote, "You will never have a definite purpose in life; you will never have self confidence; you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them." He went on to say, "... imagination is the most marvellous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known."

SOMETIMES we read or see something that resonates more than anything else before.

A lot of the time people walk around on autopilot, with nothing going on upstairs.  They travel to work by car, bus or train and when they get there they have no recollection of the journey as they have been in an altered state. 

"If everyone said exactly what was on their mind right now,

most people would be speechless!"

An image in your mind is the first stage of the creative process in life. From your imagination your visions and plans arise.

There is a concept called "Fantasy - Theory - Fact." The premise underlying this concept is that everything has its origination in the form of Fantasy, which some adventurous souls dare turn into a theory and then boldly turn into fact. Give this serious thought for a moment.

The idea of moon landings, communicating by email, traveling on jets, cellular phones or wearing synthetic garments was a very short time ago, sheer fantasy. Today, they are considered commonplace. The individuals who were responsible for the conception and creation of the email, cell phones and any of the thousands of modern conveniences we enjoy today had a highly developed imagination.

As Leaders, we realise that there is infinite possibility in our imagination.  No idea too big.  No idea too outrageous. Leaders have Vision. 

Some people have an ability that others don’t.  They have the ability to see opportunity and possibility in the most outrageous ideas.  A Leader needs a mindset of Can-Do, Anything is possible, opportunity is all around…

There is no such thing as a bad idea…only an idea that isn’t investigated and acted upon correctly.  If you, as a leader, are presented with, or have your own, wild idea you have to be able to see the big picture and realise that by rationalising and expanding a great idea or a stupid idea you could have a lifechanging success. 

If you don’t believe that then think of these two words…Spongebob Squarepants!  Would you have given me $20,000 for THAT one?