AN ORIGINAL AUDIO PROGRAM FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR! In his instant self-help classic, the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michael J. Gelb identified seven aspects of Da Vinci's genius that contemporary readers can emulate and apply in their own lives. Now, in WORK LIKE DA VINCI, Gelb adapts these principles to the specific demands of the workplace, sharing the innovative solutions to contemporary corporate and career challenges that have kept him in constant demand as a top-tier speaker and consultant to Fortune 500 clients. In Gelb's expert perspective, Da Vinci's genius can be distilled into seven principles for the business Ask the right questions (Curiositá) Put your answers to work (Dimostrazione) Develop your business senses (Sensazione) Turn uncertainty into opportunity (Sfumato) Strike a profitable balance (Arte/Scienza) Integrate for success (Corporalitá) Make the break-through connection (Connessione) These principles will help you tackle such timeless business challenges leadership; innovation; teamwork; strategic planning; decision-making; managing change and uncertainty; giving powerful presentations; giving and receiving feedback; and more.
The world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development, Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, innovative leadership and executive coaching. His clients include DuPont, Emerson, Genentech, KPMG, Merck, Microsoft, Nike and YPO.
Michael is a Senior Fellow at The Center for Humanistic Management and a member of the Leading People and Organizations Advisory Board at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. Michael was also awarded a Batten Fellowship in Innovation from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, and he co-directed the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar there for more than 10 years. Michael was honored as “Brain of the Year” (1999) by the Brain Trust Charity – other recipients include Steven Hawking, Garry Kasparov and Edward De Bono.
Michael is the author of 17 books including How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Discover Your Genius, Innovate Like Edison, and The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now.
Michael’s books have been translated into 25 languages and have sold more than one million copies. Recent releases include The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World, co-authored with Prof. Raj Sisodia, and Mastering the Art of Public Speaking: 8 Secrets to Transform Fear and Supercharge Your Career.
FUN FACTS
Author, Speaker, Consultant, Juggler!
A professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Gelb introduced the idea of teaching juggling to promote accelerated learning and team-building. He is the author of The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggling Your Way to Success.
A passionate wine lover, Gelb is the originator of a unique and enjoyable approach to teambuilding as expressed in Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices.
Michael trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, (the method taught at The Juilliard School for cultivating commanding stage presence), while completing his Masters degree. His thesis became his first book – Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique.
A fifth degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, Gelb is co-author with Grandmaster Raymond Keene, of Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking Through the Martial Art of the Mind.
The principles are accurate in my opinion but this whole book is basically just this guy waxing poetic about Da Vinci.
Also, the audiobook is annoying. The author reads it himself, but he's reading it the way he'd deliver it if he were giving a speech to a room full of people and it's obnoxious. He. has a tendency. to talk. like William. Shatner. with odd. pauses. And he inserts. weird laughs. at points. he thinks are. funny. A lot.
Couldn't even finish the audiobook. The author/reader laughs at his own "jokes" it is read like a bad breakout group in a corporate training setting. I do think I would enjoy the content if the recording was a little more professional and less "friendly".
This book is full of simple, straight-forward, useful tools to starting thinking, organizing, and working like Da Vinci.
Well, we assume the author did his homework and it is a very interesting collection. Da Vinci truly was a man before his time.
I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. He has a great approach to the reading and I love that every so often he's laughing at his jokes (because they are funny). Nice even tone, and suitable for double-speed if you prefer. I'd like to re-read it in a year, and possibly every year, because it's just the kind of book that you can collect gems from with every reading.
Favourite quotes:
"Memory is the database of creativity."
"When your mind is set on excellence, you'll find what you need to be excellent."
"Men of genius sometimes work best when they work least." Leonardo Da Vinci
"Take time in solitude. At least once a week, spend an hour or two on your own processing the challenges of the week."
Interesting tidbits about Di Vinci applied to modern life. Nothing particularly revolutionary here, just good solid writing on working creatively and effectively. The discussion of mind mapping was excellent and inspired me to start drawing mindmaps to plan/remember things.
Just the typical corporate speak advice with some references to Da Vinci thrown in to tie in the title. Nothing creative, or even new, here. And I agree with other reviewers that the awkward laughter throughout the audiobook is off-putting.
Nothing new here. Old over used cliches like, "think outside the box". I kept waiting for some solid ideas Micheal kept promising to give and it just never came.
The author focus in practices to apply the same principles that Da Vinci applied in his work:
- Curiosità – An insatiable quest for knowledge and continuous improvement - Dimostrazione – Learning from experience - Sensazione – Sharpening the senses - Sfumato – Managing ambiguity and change - Arte/Scienza – Whole-brain thinking - Corporalità – Body-mind fitness - Connessione – Systems thinking
I've had already read the book How to Think like Da Vinci (http://blog.andrefaria.com/pense-como...) from the same author, but it was good to revisit some principles listening to the audiobook.
"If you don't play devil's advocate, life will do it for you."
"The 'ha ha' and the 'aha' are first cousins." --Michael J Gelb, Work Like Da Vinci
actually 4.5 stars! Over the years, I have participated in many a training session-workshop-seminar. Some of them worthwhile -- some, not so much. With many 'aha' moments, this presentation encompasses many useful ideas and strategies in the ideal of one person and his best practices -- Leonardo da Vinci.
A follow-up to How to Think like Leonard Da Vinci, Michael Gelb gives examples from his consulting and seminar business about how to apply the principles in today's work place. Ask the right questions. Develop your business senses. Strike a profitable balance, Make the break-thru connection. Put your answers to work. Turn uncertainty into opportunity. Integrate for success. This book is a business coach in a box.
Was expecting some historical insights on key DaVinci principles, in a modern context, but it quickly turned into a bit of a self-help workshop. Also, it presupposes the conventional wisdom that DaVinci actually designed all of the devices he illustrated. It would have been far more interesting if the book took the current challenges to that wisdom in account. Unfortunately, it did not keep my attention past the first couple of chapters.
I am so glad I gave this book a chance despite some of the reviews that were less than favorable. I thought this book was excellent. I learned more strategies and tools that can be applied immediately to virtually everything I will do. I am thankful this was put together and look forward to seeing the impact it will have on my life in the future! At a bare minimum you will learn a way to remember the planets in order so you never forget them.
The 7 principles mentioned in the book, that Da Vinci applied are:
Ask the right questions; Develop your business senses; Strike a profitable balance; Make the break-thru connection; Put your answers to work; Turn uncertainty into opportunity; Integrate for success.
I have the audiobook and it is so rewarding to have instructions from someone that achieved mastery in so many areas. This made me realize that it's not showing off to want to become proficient more than one area. Thank you Leo.
I really enjoyed this audio book. Enhancing one's creativity in proven ways like Da Vinci achieved is using a great role model. Gelb presents as a seminar including laughing at his own jokes. But it's not too much and I found the book quite useful and entertaining. It was well worth the listen.
This book reviews the seven characteristics Gelb has identified in da Vinci's life that we can emulate for our own personal growth. He then shows how using these principles in our professional and business endeavors can improve the outcomes.