Overview

In our complex world, thinking Leonardo was the Every child is born with the genius potential of a Leonard da
creatively is an essential skill embodiment of the creative Vinci unfortunately, we often go about de-geniusing them.
for all of us as we seek to spirit and his approach to Michael J. Gelb has crystalised da Vincis creative thinking in
reach our full potential. What if optimising human potential is his international best-seller How to Think Like Leonardo Da
you could call on historys now more relevant than ever. Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day into seven principles:
greatest genius, Leonardo da
Vinci, to be your personal Anatomist, architect, botanist, 1. Curiosit An insatiable quest for knowledge
mentor in cultivating this city planner, chef, humorist,
and continuous improvement
ability? This is the question engineer, equestrian, inventor,
Michael J Gelb, pioneering geographer, geologist, military 2. Dimostrazione Learning from experience
creative thinker, explored in scientist, musician, painter, 3. Sensazione Sharpening
his workshop at the 2012 Mind philosopher and raconteur, the senses
& Its Potential conference. Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 4. Sfumato Managing ambiguity and change
1519) helped bring the
Western world out of the
5. Arte/Scienza Whole-brain thinking
Middle Ages and into the 6. Corporalit Body-mind fitness
Renaissance. 7. Connessione Systems thinking.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 About Michael J. Gelb
Michael J. Gelb, is the world's leading authority on the application of
genius thinking to personal and organizational development.

He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning,

and innovative leadership and Founder & President of High
Performance Learning and The Creativity and Innovation
Leadership Academy, USA.

Michael is the author of 12 books including the international best seller

How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every
Day.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Curiosit an insatiably curious approach to life and
unrelenting quest for continuous learning
The desire to know is Keep your own journal or Some other ways to fire up
natural to good men. notebook your Curiosit:
Usually you get your
Leonardo da Vinci
best ideas when youre Find your ideal hobby
relaxed and by yourself Learn a new language
Were all born with a natural
with no fear of Make time for reflection
curiosity about our world. Babies
embarrassment holding and contemplation
and children are intensely
you back. Read, read, read
curious about the people, places
Write down the ideas Spend time with little
and things around them
that come to you at 4 in children they can teach
experimenting and questioning in
the morning by us so much!
their quest to understand
recording them you are Nurture your emotional
themselves and their world.
inviting your intuitive intelligence
Leonardo retained his childlike
mind to be more a part
wonder and insatiable curiosity
of your everyday Further reading:
about the world throughout his
thinking Creative Journal Writing: The
life so how can we do the
Start doodling creatively Art & Heart of Reflection -
same? How can we nurture our
about your ideas Stephanie Dowrick, author
own genuine, passionate
Record questions that and Interfaith Minister
curiosity and desire to learn?
interest you >> LINK
Write down simple
observations about a Curious? Discover the Missing
chosen theme for a day Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life -
Professor Todd Kashdan
>> LINK

Todd will be speaking at both

Happiness & Its Causes 2013
and Young Minds 2013.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Dimostrazione a commitment to test knowledge
through experience, persistence and a willingness
to learn from mistakes
Obstacles do not Three points of view Further reading:
bend me. consciously examine your The Pursuit of Perfect Tal
beliefs from at least three Ben Shahar, leading positive
Leonardo da Vinci
different angles invite psychology lecturer and
different perspectives on ideas. author >> LINK
Like Leonardo we need to be
Try making the strongest
the disciples of experience,
possible argument against your Learn to fail or fail to learn
learning from our mistakes,
belief. By inviting contrary The Happiness Coach blog
inviting the opinions of others
opinions we can open our post >> LINK
and challenging long-held
minds to other possibilities.
beliefs to truly think creatively.
Learn from mistakes and
Examine your experience
adversity so often we learn
in your notebook spend time
as children that mistakes are to
exploring the most influential
be avoided at all costs, and yet
experiences in your life. How
only by making mistakes are
have they influenced your
we able to be creative. In the
beliefs and worldview? On
words of James Joyce,
reflection, could you rethink
Mistakes are the portals of
some of your conclusions?
discovery. What is the biggest
mistake you ever made? What
did you learn from it? Think
about what you would do
differently if you had no fear of
mistakes.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Sensazione the continual refinement of the senses,
especially sight, as the means to enliven experience
The five senses are the Vision: Looking and Seeing Touching and Feeling go
ministers of the soul. focus on something nearby outside and explore the
and then something far away - textures of nature, notice the
Leonardo da Vinci
repeat to enliven your eyes quality of different peoples
and expand your perception, touch, give a friend a foot
Sharpening the senses, sight,
study the lives and work of massage, have a massage
sound, touch, taste and smell,
your favourite artists, describe your self!
are the keys to opening the
the sunset, learn to draw.
doors of experience. As
Synthesia the merging of
Leonardo noted, so often we
Listening and hearing take the senses that
look without seeing, hear
time each day to listen to the characterizes great artists
without listening, touch without
layers of sounds around you, and scientific geniuses. Try
feeling, eat without tasting,
practice silence, listen to great drawing music, vocalize
move without physical
music from the classical sounds inspired by a
awareness, inhale without
cannon, develop active beautiful painting, make a
awareness of odor or fragrance,
listening. delicious minestrone,
and talk without thinking. How
Leonardos favourite,
can we be more mindful of la
Aromatic Awareness everyday dish!
dolce vita, savouring our every
breathe in and notice what
experience?
you smell right now, make Further reading:
your own perfume, study Wine drinking for inspired
aromatherapy. thinking Michael J. Gelb
>> LINK
Taste develop comparative
tasting with favourite foods
such as cheese, honey,
chocolate or wine start with
three varieties, smell and
taste, describe your
experience.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Sfumato (literally going up in smoke), a willingness to
embrace ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty
Keeping your mind open in the Meditate on Mona
face of uncertainty is key to What is Mona Lisa smiling
unleashing your creative at? What is her essence?
potential. Sfumato is the ability Allow your analytical mind to
to maintain your poise, calm down and appreciate
centredness and balance in the Leonardos embodiment of
midst of the unknown. How can paradox.
we nurture Sfumato and
increase our tolerance for Take time for solitude and
uncertainty? relaxation take time at
least one or twice a week to
Make friends with ambiguity go for a walk in nature or sit
think about three times in your quietly by yourself
life when you felt ambiguous.
What was the situation? How Trust your gut try honing
did it feel? Where in your body your intuition by writing
did you experience ambiguity? down your everyday
How do you respond to feelings hunches in your notebook
of ambiguity? and then checking their
accuracy. Listen to what
your body is telling you.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Arte/Scienza the development of the balance between
science and art, logic and imagination, whole-brain thinking
We all have thinking Practise mind mapping all you Make your own mind maps
preferences usually favouring need to start is a topic, some create a mind map of your
either the right or left side of the coloured pens and a sheet of next day off, your dream
brain. Are you a more artistic, paper and follow these rules: vacation or a perfect evening
holistic, intuitive right- with a friend. Take about 20
Begin with a symbol or picture
hemisphere thinker? Or do you minutes for your first practice
representing your topic in the
prefer the more logical, map.
centre
analytical, fact-based thinking
style of the left? For Leonardo Print key words or draw Video presentation:
art and science were indivisible. images on curved branches Innovative learning and
How can we too become whole- radiating from the centre thinking techniques
brain thinkers? Tony Buzan speaking at the
Print one key word per line
Mind & Its Potential
One of the best tools for Print your key words on the conference.
enhancing whole brain thinking line and make the words the
is mind mapping created by the same length as the lines Useful websites:
UKs innovative thinking
Free associate and add
pioneer, Tony Buzan. ThinkBuzan.com inventors
smaller branches with images
of mind mapping
or words related to your key
words
Whole Brain Thinking
Use colours, pictures,
dimensions and codes for
greater association and
emphasis
Heres a short Mind Map Tutorial
using Tony Buzans iMindMap
software.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Creative thinking mind map

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Corporalit the cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness
and poise
Maintain your health Learn to figure sketch
Rather than the cartoon image
To keep your health these Another way to connect to
of a weedy intellectual,
rules are wise: Corporalit is to familiarise
Leonardo was gifted with
Beware of anger and avoid yourself with the human
remarkable physical energy
grievous moods.. body through life drawing of
and aptitude. What better
Rest your head and keep your the figure. Discover the
advice to follow that Leonardos
mind cheerful divine proportion in the
own on how to maintain health
Be covered well at night human frame the message
and well-being.
Exercise moderately of the Renaissance is that
Shun wantonness and pay the divine is in you.
attention to diet
Eat only when you want and Learn to juggle
sup light A wonderful way to develop
Keep upright when you rise ambidexterity, balance and
from the dining table mind/body co-ordination -
Do not be with the belly join in the fun of Michael
upwards or the head lowered Gelbs presentation at Mind
Let your wine be mixed with & Its Potential 2012.
water, take a little at a time,
not between meals, and not
on an empty stomach
Eat simple (ie vegetarian)
food
Chew well
Go to the toilet regularly!

(Taken from Michael Gelbs How

to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:
Seven Steps to Genius Every
Day)

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 Connessione a recognition of and appreciation for the
interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Systems
thinking.
When the tiniest bird Make connections seeing Conessione meditation -
alights on a tree, the relationships and patterns bringing your attention to
between seemingly unrelated your breath is a simple and
whole world is affected things is the core of creativity. effective way to experience
thus. Play with finding connections eg. conessione in the midst of a
Leonardo da Vinci between an oriental rug and hectic day. Just take a few
psychotherapy (the rug has slow breaths and notice the
As humans we seek for intricate repeating patterns and flow of the breath in and out.
connections emotional, social, so does your psyche). Think how you share the
physical, intellectual and same air with all living
spiritual. We look for health, Can you make connections beings and reconnect with
affection, a sense of belonging between: yourself, your environment
and intimacy. We want to An oak leaf and a human and everything in it near and
understand the patterns and hand far.
relationships underpinning A laugh and a knot
systems. We seek oneness with Mathematics and the last
the divine. supper
A pigs tail and a bottle of
Contemplate wholeness wine
What does wholeness mean to A giraffe and coleslaw?
you? Do you experience it in
daily life? Try expressing your
concept of wholeness with a
drawing, gesture or dance.

7 STEPS TO THINKING LIKE A GENIUS

 happinessanditscauses.com.au mindanditspotential.com.au youngminds.org.au

AUTHOR: Beth Phelan