The Unforeseen Twists & Turns
I love collaboration and I believe some of the best examples of how to do this well lie with creative performing artists and writers. We are in a time where musicians collaborate on songs and perform together. These turn out to be incredible collective products. In my own world of having a professional service firm, I am always looking for potential collaborations or cross-branding opportunities. I am reading a collaboration of books conceived and curated by Blake Crouch. Blake brought together five other authors, Veronica Roth, N.K. Jemison, Amor Towles, Paul Tremblay, and Andy Weir, to write, along with himself, six books. In a note from the curator to the Forward collection, Blake Crouch tells us the three driving questions he posed to this collaboration of authors to write about. Here are the three questions (Crouch, 2019):
1. “How does anyone know at the moment of discovery where their work will ultimately lead?”
2. “Should we let that uncertainty stop forward momentum, or do we roll the dice and let the chips fall where they may?”
3. “How does it feel to change the world?”
Having just finished Towles’ You Have Arrived At Your Destination and Weir’s Randomize, I can already tell you this collaboration was a success. Those three questions Couch posed to the authors have continued to cause me to reflect however. Therefore, the reason for today’s post and probably a couple of other future posts. Pondering the question “How does anyone know at the moment of discovery where their work will ultimately lead?” helps us contemplate and begin to understand the uncertainty and fluidity of artistic creation, promotes openness and self-reflection, and encourages us to embrace the unknown in our innovative and creative journeys. We are reminded that, no matter how well we plan or strategize, there are always unforeseen twists and turns along the way.
Asking this question encourages us, as leaders, to embrace uncertainty and remain flexible in our approach – one of the big advantages of collaboration. It challenges us to let go of rigid expectations and instead focus on exploring new possibilities and adapting to changing circumstances. By acknowledging that the ultimate outcome of our work may be unknown, leaders can foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and learning.
Moreover, asking this question promotes self-reflection and encourages leaders to question our assumptions and biases. It challenges us to critically evaluate our own work and consider alternative perspectives and approaches. This can lead to greater creativity, as well as a deeper understanding of ourself and the world.
Byron's Babbles 
[…] books. I wrote about one of the driving questions used as inspiration for the series yesterday in The Unforeseen Twists & Turns. The first question was, “How does anyone know at the moment of discovery where their work will […]
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[…] called Forward. I’ve already blogged about his first two questions that drove the series in The Unforeseen Twists & Turns and Rolling The Dice of Uncertainty. Now while reading a fourth awesome book in the series by […]
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