Alan Gregerman - The Unconventional Power of Outside Perspectives

SEASON: 5 EPISODE: 34 Episode Overview: Welcome back to Becoming Preferred, the podcast where we talk to the people and hear the stories and insights that can help us build better professional and personal lives. Have you ever wondered what separates a good idea from a truly brilliant one? Or how some companies seem to effortlessly innovate while others struggle to survive? Our guest today has made it his life’s work to answer those very questions. Today, we're joined by Alan Gregerman, a renowned author, speaker, and consultant who believes we all have the capacity for genius. Alan isn't just about big ideas; he's about unlocking the incredible potential that exists within each of us and the organizations we're a part of. He’s going to share how a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us can lead to breakthroughs we never thought possible. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for that next big idea or a business professional trying to foster a culture of innovation, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Get ready to rethink how brilliance actually happens and discover the keys to becoming more creative, innovative, and successful than you ever imagined. J oin me for my conversation with Alan Gregerman. Guest Bio: Alan Gregerman is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, teacher, researcher, and community volunteer who is constantly trying to figure out how to unlock the genius in all of us and all of the companies and organizations we work for.   Alan believes that we all have the ability to be way more creative, innovative, and successful than we ever imagined by having a better understanding of ourselves, the world around us, and how brilliance actually occurs. Resource Links:Website: https://alangregerman.com/Product Link: https://alangregerman.com/resources/ Insight Gold Timestamps: 05:00  I think it was your first book, The Necessity of Strangers came out in 2013 05:41  The simple notion that 99% of all new ideas are based on somebody's thinking 08:10  We're all innovative if we're curious 09:23  We often think about innovation as you know, who's got a brilliant idea 11:37  I would never start an innovative thinking session in a room with a bunch of people who come in with what they know and their expertise 13:55 I start with purpose 15:02  So, what you've done is you've paid to figure out how to be the best of the worst 16:50  I ask audiences sometimes when I'm speaking, what if Apple got into your business? What would that look like? 19:04  They need to put their best customers at the center of their business, and they need to design around them 23:34  What kind of questions should they be asking to gain truly valuable insights? 24:22 The second is what I call serendipity 25:17 Strangers matter because they think differently than I do and my friends do 27:35 We need to eat our lunch before someone else does 29:06  I don't think being clever and curious costs money 30:39  We're going to get out there and figure out how to be more amazing together 32:23 We can't behave as though the world is going to stand still 37:00  We have to create cultures in which we're open to these ideas and willing to give them a fair test 39:36  The reality is every business can sharpen its pencil 40:12  Releasing a new book called <a...