Dec 27, 2023
Harris III, an illusionist and storyteller, spent much
of his life traveling the world performing his unique brand of
magic and storytelling for more than two million people on five
continents. His book, "The Wonder Switch: The Difference Between
Limiting Your Life and Living Your Dream," discusses rediscovering
wonder and transforming your life. He highlights the concept of
"starting with wow" and the intersection of wonder, and
storytelling as crucial roles to effective leadership, stressing
the need to reconnect with our initial sense of wonder to find
purpose and beat burnout. He advocates for curiosity in leadership,
emphasizing the difference between "wow people" who focus on vision
and "how people" who analyze problems, while this would also
increase creativity to people. He promotes a shift in leadership
perception, encouraging individuals to take charge of their stories
and challenge the status quo, which he termed as WoW
(Wonder-oriented Worldview) level leadership. Harris III asserts
that worry is a misuse of imagination, and wonder is the antidote
to apathy.
https://bit.ly/TLP_389
Key Takeaways:
[2:48] Harris III points out that magic often doesn't
receive the recognition it deserves as an art form, particularly in
the realm of social media. With the limitations imposed by
COVID-19, magicians and illusionists had to adapt to continue
making a living. Some turned to revealing the behind-the-scenes of
magic online, transforming it into humor or pranks. Additionally,
Harris III mentions Simon Sinek's book, 'Start with Why,' which
emphasizes that effective leaders inspire action in others rather
than simply leading them.
[4:42] He discusses the "Start with Wow" book,
highlighting its perspective that leadership is intertwined with
communication, both with others and oneself. The book emphasizes
the significance of revisiting the purpose behind your actions,
bringing you back to a grounded state. It underscores that wonder
is the pathway to achieving something remarkable. The book suggests
that unexpected opportunities may arise when you least anticipate
them, and staying vigilant is crucial. In times of losing focus or
forgetting your initial motivation, the advice is to return to the
mindset of wonder, symbolized by "wow."
[10:30] Harris III details how curiosity is
essentially a wonder in action, describing it as a genuine
physiological state that sparks interest in our surroundings. The
connection between wonder and storytelling is highlighted, where
wonder inspires belief in the potential of new narratives, and
storytelling influences behavior. Emphasizing that effective
leadership begins with self-leadership, he stresses the importance
of fostering curiosity without facing ridicule. Leaders are
encouraged to understand that curiosity doesn't mandate blind
belief, and it's acceptable to question things even without
personal observation.
[18:16] He talks about two kinds of negative people:
the "wow" people, who are usually pessimistic, and the "how"
people, who try to handle their own fears. In meetings as an
example, they tend to divide the two, usually choosing how people.
But, to come up with a great end, the two must collide - wow
playing the role of vision while how plays the role of mission.
Harris III relates it to a Ping pong game, where wow will do the
action of wonder and how ill do the action of executing.
[25:51] Harris III shares the significance of
collective creativity within a group. Emphasizing that team members
utilizing their creative thinking can result in superior outcomes.
He also delves into the notion that a leader's most valuable asset
is their imagination, aligning it with the concept of storytelling.
Although everyone is inherently born with a natural inclination
toward wonder, there is a tendency to lean towards a how mindset.
Furthermore, creativity is not an exclusive trait but a fundamental
quality inherent in all individuals, as imagination is an
ever-present and open aspect of our nature. He draws a distinction
between anxiety as a product of imagination and worry and
irrational fear as misapplication of imagination.
[29:41] Harris III offers his perspective on
leadership, focusing primarily on self-leadership, asserting that
everyone has the capacity to lead themselves and others. This
involves taking charge of your actions and not leaving things to
fate, actively pursuing your goals instead of waiting for
circumstances to dictate your path. Harris III distinguishes
between leaders and managers, noting that leaders are accountable
for the future, whereas managers handle present responsibilities.
He defines great leadership as excelling in self-leadership,
encapsulated in what he terms "WoW level leadership," comprising
self-leadership, team leadership, and marketplace leadership.
[43:05] Harris III shares his 30-second thoughts if
given the chance to speak in front of a crowd: Roald Dahl famously
said that those who don't believe in magic will never find it. And
that's because we think that seeing is believing. And if seeing is
believing is true, that means that we will be able to believe once
we see. But seeing is not believing. Believing is seeing. Because
what we believe has the power to change what we see. Wonder is the
state in which we have permission to believe. And if we can live
wide awake to a state of wonder, we can always start with WoW. And
if we start with WoW in leading ourselves and the way we lead
others, and the way we lead in the marketplace at large, we can
create a better future both for ourselves, for others and the
world. Because great leadership, wow level leadership, always
starts with wow.
[49:45] Closing Quote: Remember, he who can no longer
pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe is as good as dead. His
eyes are closed. - Albert Einstein
Quotable Quotes:
“Wisdom and wonder are intertwined”
“Leaders believe and invited us to step up in
leadership”
“The quickest way to find our way back to it is to
start with wow. Understand that that wow gives birth to your why,
and it can help you pave the way.”
“You were meant for more. So lean in, pay a little bit
closer attention”
“It's the wow moment that whispers to us and says,
there's more going on here than meets the eye.”
“Wipe the fog from your glasses so that you can see a
little bit more clearly because something is trying to wake you up
to a new reality.”
“Understand that curiosity is simply wondered in
action.”
“Great leadership in the marketplace is the result of
leading a team, that all starts with leading yourself.”
“Only in a state of wonder where our brain loosens its
grip on those stories and opens us up to the possibility of what
could be.”
“Curiosity is essential, not just in leadership, but
in every form of coaching. When we are cynical instead of curious,
when we are worried instead of in wonder, what ends up happening is
we push off the stories we're being invited into.”
“Cynicism is the fear posing as confidence. What you
see is not always what you get.”
“Human beings are not very good at determining what is
real or true based on what our senses perceive. Our senses are so
easily fooled, and even our emotions can easily lead us
astray.”
“Believing isn't about seeing; it's navigating reality
through the lens of our own stories.”
“When we choose to believe something, it's what we
choose to believe, which is a narrative that changes the
story.”
This is the book mentioned in our discussion with
Harris III:
Resources Mentioned: