Arthur C. Clarke is the British writer who gave us 2001: a Space Odyssey and other great science fiction. As a scientist he came up with the idea of using geostationary satellites as telecommunications relays. He also developed this helpful bit of advice, which is the first of Clarke’s Three Laws.
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”
Experience, in science or in business, is excellent for telling us what is known. It’s not so good at telling us what might be possible. For that we need Clarke’s Second Law.
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.”
Good advice. The first two laws will help us with business innovation. But Clarke’s Third Law puts us on to another bit of wisdom that helps us with process.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Think of technology here in its wider meaning of “the way to do things.” What looks so much like magic when great performers do it can usually be duplicated if you’re willing to look at the process.
Top individual performers have specific ways of doing things that you can adapt. Top companies develop systems that help ordinary people produce extraordinary results.
Boss’s Bottom Line
It’s not magic to the magician.
Source: Wally Bock’s Three Star Leadership Blog
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