Strategic intuition: the creative spark in human achievement

207 Pages·2007·0.73 MB·English

by  William R. Duggan

(continued from front flap)
d how “aha!” really happens.
u
“ t he be st strateg y book
world. All these kinds of thinking g
When do you get your best ideas?
happen through flashes of insight— g
strategic intuition. And now that we o f the yea r.” a You probably answer “At night,” or
n “In the shower,” or “Stuck in traffic.”
know how it works, you can learn to
You get a flash of insight. Things
do it better. That’s what this book is
Strategy + Business Magazine come together in your mind. You
about. S
connect the dots. You say to yourself,
t
a h a “Aha! I see what to do.” Brain science
Over the past ten years, William how “ !” really happens
r now reveals how these flashes of
Duggan has conducted pioneering
insight happen. It’s a special form of
research on strategic intuition and
a
intuition. We call it strategic intuition,
for the past three years has taught a
“A concise and entertaining treatise on human achievement.” t because it gives you an idea for ac-
popular course at Columbia Busi-
tion—a strategy.
ness School on the subject. He now WilliaM eaSterly, Wall Street Journal e
gives us this eye-opening book that
g Brain science tells us there are three
shows how strategic intuition lies “I always try to find those special few who have made the ‘giant leap’ to the
kinds of intuition: ordinary, expert,
at the heart of great achievements next big idea. William Duggan finally explains how the mind makes these i and strategic. Ordinary intuition is
throughout human history: the c
leaps and how throughout time individuals have used strategic intuition to just a feeling, a gut instinct. Expert
scientific and computer revolutions,
intuition is snap judgments, when
women’s suffrage, the civil rights change the world. ”
i
you instantly recognize something
movement, modern art, microfi- gilMan louie, partner, alsop louie Partners n familiar, the way a tennis pro knows
nance in poor countries, and more.
where the ball will go from the arc
From Bill Gates to Google, Coperni- t
“William Duggan takes us on a fascinating exploration into how the human and speed of the opponent’s racket.
cus to Martin Luther King, Picasso
u
(Malcolm Gladwell wrote about this
to Patton—you’ll never think the brain connects experience and knowledge to create entirely new ideas in
same way about strategy again. i kind of intuition in Blink.) The third
momentary flashes of insight.”
t kind, strategic intuition, is not a
robin HarPer, vice president, marketing and community development, vague feeling, like ordinary intuition.
i
linden lab, creator of Second life Strategic intuition is a clear thought.
o
william duggan
And it’s not fast, like expert intuition.
is associate professor of
“This book will be the first to introduce formally, authoritatively, and n It’s slow. That flash of insight you
management at Columbia
had last night might solve a prob-
Business School, where convincingly the notion of strategic intuition. All strategic leaders can
lem that’s been on your mind for a
he teaches strategic
intuition in graduate and benefit immensely from it.” month. And it doesn’t happen in
executive courses. He has DouglaS c. lovelace, senior national security strategist familiar situations, like a tennis match.
twenty years of experi- Strategic intuition works in new situ-
ence as a strategy advisor and consultant ations. That’s when you need it most.
and is the author of The Art of What Works:
How Success Really Happens and Napoleon’s
PrInTED In THE u.S.A. Everyone knows you need creative
Glance: The Secret of Strategy.
thinking, or entrepreneurial thinking,
or innovative thinking, or strategic
thinking, to succeed in the modern
jacket design: peter grant
(continued on back flap)
Strategic Intuition
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Strategic Intuition
The Creative Spark in Human
Achievement
WILLIAM DUGGAN
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Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
A Caravan book. For more information, visit www.caravanbooks.org
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Duggan, William R.
Strategic intuition : the creative spark in human achievement / William Duggan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-231-14268-7 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-231-51232-9 (e-book)
1. Creative ability in business. 2. Intuition. 3. Decision making.
4. Creative thinking. I. Title.
HD53.D84 2008
153.3′5—dc22
2007019987
∞
Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and
durable acid-free paper.
This book was printed on paper with recycled content.
Printed in the United States of America
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither
the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired
or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
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For Lynn and Emmaline
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Contents
Preface ix
1. Flash versus Blink
An Introduction to Strategic Intuition 1
2. Revolution on Earth
Flashes of Insight in Scientifi c Discovery 11
3. Two Halves of a Brain
Intelligent Memory in Neuroscience 25
4. Lieutenant M Saves Your Life
Expert Intuition in Action 39
5. The Corsican Conquers Europe
Coup d’Oeil in Classical Military Strategy 55
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viii
Contents
6. Warrior Buddha
The Path to Beginner’s Mind 69
7. Gates and the Google Guys Go for It
Strategic Innovation in Business 83
8. Mouse, Minister, and Moneylender
The Art of What Works in Social Enterprise 119
9. Picasso Dines with an African Sculpture
Creative Combination in the Professions 149
10. Do We Do Dewey?
Teaching Strategic Intuition 165
11. Kennedy Shoots for the Moon
Progress Through Opportunity 179
Index 187
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Preface
This book is the fi rst full treatment of an idea I discovered some
ten years ago. At that time I was one of many scholars applying
our research expertise to the problem of economic development in
poor countries. It began to dawn on me that my fellow experts had
elaborate methods for analysis and planning that ignored or even
contradicted the existing sources on how creative achievement
really happens. Over time my informal inquiry into these sources
turned into a more formal study that in turn led to this book.
In my inquiry, three authors stood out right away: Thomas
Kuhn on scientifi c revolutions, Joseph Schumpeter on entrepre-
neurial leaps of progress, and Carl von Clausewitz on military
strategy. It struck me that all three described similar mechanisms
for creative advance in their fi elds. The implications of this simi-
larity seemed enormous to me for other fi elds too, including my
own. All three scholars had independently arrived at a universal
description of the structure of human achievement.
Once I saw this common thread, I set out to translate it into
practical concepts that fi elds beyond science, entrepreneurship,
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