PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS FROM “REBEL IDEAS”​ BY MATTHEW SYED

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Yet again Matthew Syed has delivered a fascinating book from which numerous insights can be drawn to help us build better leaders, better teams, and better versions of ourselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and want to share my key takeaways.

  1. Diversity is key. Insufficient diversity in the US intelligence services meant that specific indicators in the buildup to 9/11 were missed. Takeaway: In project teams we gravitate towards like-minded, agreeable people, but in fact we need to deliberate with people from very different backgrounds, and with different perspectives, in order to catch all opportunities to succeed!
  2. Variety is essential. Cracking the German “Enigma code” during the 2nd World War required imagination, and collaboration, from a wide range of expert problem-solvers. Takeaway: Solve problems together as a team. Varied experience and expertise has proven to crack the toughest codes time and time again.
  3. Challenge is critical. The accepted “dominant” leadership style during the 1996 Everest climbing tragedy was ultimately disastrous in the face of adversity. Takeaway: Create the right team environment, and the right “conversation-climate” for constructive critique during the planning, preparation, and troubleshooting phases of any activity, in order to avoid disasters.
  4. Recombination is transformative. Drawing on multiple backgrounds, cross-pollinating tactics from diverse industries, capturing the “immigrant mindset”, and deliberately mixing different expertise, leads to enlightenment and breakthrough. This has recently benefited English football, and previously served as a catalyst in Scottish inventiveness during the 19th century. Takeaway: Consider “recombinant” innovation in addition to incremental improvement. Recombinant innovation involves fusing together two or more ideas from “different and previously unrelated fields”, in order to innovate true “step-change”. Think wheels on a suitcase, or indeed now, self-driving cars! It is all about “the adjacent possible”.
  5. Openness to opposing perspectives is vital. A US white-supremacist’s paradigm was only shifted when he realized the distortion of his view. The “Echo chamber” metaphor applies to us all if we fail to empathise and truly reflect. Takeaway: Open our eyes and ears to the plight and persecution of others. Step into the shoes of competitors and customers in order to really “see in 3D”!
  6. Generalisation is dangerous. Diet research has shown that one diet does not fit all. Everyone has different “DNA” and personal peculiarities. Flexibility and adaptability is more and more important for effective progress. Takeaway: The idea that there is one optimal diet for all people is absurd. As with everything when dealing with people, understanding different needs, and making allowance for different strengths, is the best way to get the best out of a team of people.
  7. The “collective brain” changes the game. Social interconnectedness and a collective learning mindset differentiated our ancestors from the Neanderthals. We developed bigger brains, and we continue to improvise, adapt, and overcome, as a social species. Takeaway: Emphasis on collective learning remains as critical today as it was thousands of years ago. We thrive as teams if we embrace opportunities to plan and learn together.

In summary, I have always enjoyed reading Matthew Syed’s books. This one is truly excellent. As I was reflecting on my takeaways from these “Rebel Ideas”, I considered the current corona virus pandemic. It struck me how critical it is for the human species to unite against this invisible enemy, and to learn together, in order to minimise the scale of potential loss. It also struck me how much we will need each other’s virtual support given that the current buzz-term “social isolation” goes against what has helped us thrive as a species to date. Surely it will take constructive critique, diverse collaboration, and recombinant code-breaking, to crack COVID-19, and to consolidate again as a human tribe with a new perspective, and new priorities moving forward.