Boosting brain power via mental exercise

The answer, according to Alex Paufler, author of the newly launched “Creativity Gym for Innovative Leaders”, is that yes, creativity can be learned and developed, given sufficient practice and effort. 

While all of us are born with innovative, inquiring minds, our capacity for creativity diminishes with age and lack of stimulation. Without regular mental training, those “eureka moments” become ever more difficult to come up with.

 

Systematic 

Paufler’s approach to boosting ideas in his “Creativity Gym” is entirely systematic and can be followed by anyone, from corporate CEOs to rock stars and housewives. 

Indeed, this is one of the highlights of the book: It works for anyone, not just business leaders and executives.

The author, a distinguished musician and artist who also happens to be president and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz in Thailand, starts off his book by clearly identifying a list of five hurdles or obstacles to creativity that must be avoided, such as exhaustion, distraction and a lack of focus.

With the creativity blockers out of the way, he looks at 10 ways to source ideas, which work by motivating yourself, motivating others, and stimulating your fluency, flexibility and originality.

The author then follows up with 12 ways to realise these ideas, since “even the most creative idea is not worth much, if not put into action”. This section of the book tells us how we can transform ideas into innovations and perfect them using what he terms the “4 Ts” – tossing, tinkering, twisting and tweaking – a kaizen-like process of constant refining and improvement.

Throughout the book, the author illustrates his strategies with examples from his own life, from the creative minds of young children and from more than 400 people he interviewed during his research for the book. 

He leaves occasional blank spaces called “What’s Up Today?” for the reader to jot down ideas as they surface and before they fly away.

For corporate leaders, up-and-coming managers or anyone looking to unleash new creativities in any aspect of their personal or professional life, “Creativity Gym” is a good place to start.

 

Alex Paufler’s “Creativity Gym for Innovative Leaders” will be officially launched today at the German Embassy in Bangkok. The book is available at leading book retailers or can be ordered from The Nation at (02) 338 3570.