Harris III traveled the world as a teenage illusionist, making a million dollars by age 21 and losing it all at age 22. His growing cynicism almost took him down, but around age 30, he learned to recapture wonder.
He explains how wonder can not only recapture your personal hope (and faith), but how it’s an essential ingredient to leadership and crafting a story that rallies people.
Welcome to Episode 387 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Plus, in this episode’s What I’m Thinking About segment, Carey talks about how you can cultivate creativity.
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CONVERSATION LINKS
The Wonder Switch by Harris III
Didn’t See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof
5 Simple Changes That Can Make You a Better Thinker in the Next 7 Days by Carey Nieuwhof
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INSIGHTS FROM HARRIS
1. The rules of persuasion and illusion are universal
So, what actually is magic and illusion? And, what makes it work? According to Harris, there are a set of tactics and strategies that magicians use to persuade their audiences into amazement. Those same tactics can also be used by speakers, salespeople, marketers and pastors.
2. The more you know, the more you see, the more cynical you become
Many illusionists (and leaders in general) can become cynical because they “see how the magic is made,” and lose the ability to wonder or imagine for themselves. Knowledge and cynicism usually come hand-in-hand, and as a leader you need to protect yourself from it.
3. When telling stories, focus on connection not conversion
So many leaders (especially pastors) are looking to communicate a point, or get a conversion, when they tell a story to an audience. Harris has learned that a story is much more effective when you aim for connection with a story rather than conversion.
Quotes from Episode 387
A story's greatest power is not in its ability to convert, it's in its ability to connect. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Leadership is simply inviting someone into a story. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet We came into the world with the wonder switch turned on, so wonder is our natural state of being. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Science links creativity and innovation to curiosity. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Worry and anxiety is a misuse of imagination. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Wonder is connected to innovation because wonder gives you permission to believe in that new story. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Those of us who are in leadership are in the power of persuasion. @cnieuwhof Click To Tweet Magic tricks work so easily because human beings think that the truth is equal to what our senses perceive. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Facts that are absent of vulnerability, absent of illustration, absent of empathy, lessen the impact of all those facts. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet The secret to being a great magician is the same thing that makes you a great communicator on stage; your ability to tell a story. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet Smart phones have psychologically reconditioned an entire generation now to feel really uncomfortable with mystery, to the point where wonder feels disruptive. @HarrisIII Click To Tweet To stimulate creativity, limit meetings and email. @cnieuwhof Click To Tweet To stimulate creativity, schedule thinking and creative time. @cnieuwhof Click To Tweet Better thinking leads to better leadership. @cnieuwhof Click To TweetRead or Download the Transcript for Episode 387
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Next Episode: Alli Worthington
Alli Worthington coached business leaders and ministry leaders through the crisis of 2020. She shares the mindset and actions the leaders who made progress in 2020 adopted and the mindset and action those who floundered embraced. She also talks about why you can have too many cheerleaders around you, and how to overcome negative thinking.
Subscribe for free now so you won’t miss Episode 388.
