Brilliant in an instant
Of course we know brilliant doesn't happen in an instant and so does Nicholas Bate, who with a wink offers instant brilliant in his latest Blurb publication, Instant Brilliant 2010.
The idea behind the book and Bate's wonderful online series, entitled Brilliant (which is reprinted at the end of the book), is that we may as well commit ourselves to doing what we do brilliantly:
"Be better than the old you: raise your standards. Think about it. Anything you currently do from answering the phone, to making fresh pasta, you could do better."
Kaizen? Yeah, but it doesn't really fit what Bate is saying; he is asking more. From happiness, to confidence to fun to relationships, Bate's theme is "let's go all in." Something worth doing is worth doing brilliantly.
When you are in a meeting, be all in the meeting. Make something out of it. When working on a project, don't push deadlines and benchmarks, keep your eyes on the goal, inspire people, make something great happen. You, as an individual, have control over how things in your sphere of influence go, so be brilliant about them. You will inspire others to do the same.
The 41-page book is a quick read but you'll go back and read it again. As is signature Bate, who also lectures and conducts seminars on personal excellence, he packs a lot into small spaces. If I am being honest, I paused when I noticed the $28.00 price tag on the book. I ordered anyway because I figured it was worth the price to the get the Brilliant series in a book. I've been emailing the list around to lots of people and decided that I wanted a more permanent version.
But the book is much more than the Brilliant list. It could easily be developed into a leadership or personal improvement course. There are many launching points that would support other supplemental materials. It fits any business, personal or professional situation. And it isn't light and fluffy. Bate's prescription demands discipline, commitment and time.
Nothing in the book will be surprising. There is no silver bullet. But there are a whole hell of a lot of succinctly worded bullets that will help you. That is the other thing I like about Bate's writing. It is to-the-point. There is something Aristotelean about Bate as he looks around and makes notes on how things are and how they might be so much better. His writing is simple and free of jargon. And he doesn't waste words. Now don't waste time. Pick up a copy of Instant Brilliant 2010. There is brilliant work to be done.
The idea behind the book and Bate's wonderful online series, entitled Brilliant (which is reprinted at the end of the book), is that we may as well commit ourselves to doing what we do brilliantly:
"Be better than the old you: raise your standards. Think about it. Anything you currently do from answering the phone, to making fresh pasta, you could do better."
Kaizen? Yeah, but it doesn't really fit what Bate is saying; he is asking more. From happiness, to confidence to fun to relationships, Bate's theme is "let's go all in." Something worth doing is worth doing brilliantly.
When you are in a meeting, be all in the meeting. Make something out of it. When working on a project, don't push deadlines and benchmarks, keep your eyes on the goal, inspire people, make something great happen. You, as an individual, have control over how things in your sphere of influence go, so be brilliant about them. You will inspire others to do the same.
The 41-page book is a quick read but you'll go back and read it again. As is signature Bate, who also lectures and conducts seminars on personal excellence, he packs a lot into small spaces. If I am being honest, I paused when I noticed the $28.00 price tag on the book. I ordered anyway because I figured it was worth the price to the get the Brilliant series in a book. I've been emailing the list around to lots of people and decided that I wanted a more permanent version.
But the book is much more than the Brilliant list. It could easily be developed into a leadership or personal improvement course. There are many launching points that would support other supplemental materials. It fits any business, personal or professional situation. And it isn't light and fluffy. Bate's prescription demands discipline, commitment and time.
Nothing in the book will be surprising. There is no silver bullet. But there are a whole hell of a lot of succinctly worded bullets that will help you. That is the other thing I like about Bate's writing. It is to-the-point. There is something Aristotelean about Bate as he looks around and makes notes on how things are and how they might be so much better. His writing is simple and free of jargon. And he doesn't waste words. Now don't waste time. Pick up a copy of Instant Brilliant 2010. There is brilliant work to be done.
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