Thought Leadership

Creativity is not an ability that you have or do not have. It is absolutely unrelated to IQ.  Creativity can not happen in closed mode- the mode we generally are in at work when we feel stressed and a bit manic. Open mode is relaxed and less purposeful and allows more creativity. Things you need to be creative: 1. Space- a quiet space where you will be undisturbed 2: Time- create your space for a specific period of time (pomodoro technique) Must allow a good chunk of time. About 1.5hrs is good. 3: Time- Play with a problem for a while before you try and resolve it. Better ideas can come later- don't always take the easy options that come early on. Give your mind as long as possible to come up with something original. 4: Confidence- Take risks- saying things silly, illogical and wrong. Nothing is wrong when you are being creative. Any dribble may lead to the breakthrough! 5. Humour- Gets us from closed mode to open mode quicker than anything else. Humour is an essential part of spontaneity and play. The only other rule is that you keep your mind gently around the topic at hand. Resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way. You may not get the winning thought immediately- it may come tomorrow in the shower. Creativity is easier when you have more people to play with. If there is 1 person around who makes you feel defensive then you will loose your confidence and therefore your creativity. Be positive and build on what has been said.

A 15 minute talk by Yong Zhao on redefining 'excellence'. Yong says that traditionally education has been seen as talent reduction and we need to redefine what education means for our students.