Status Updates From How Successful People Think...

Skill 3: Creative thinking thrives when you value ideas, explore options, embrace ambiguity, connect the unconnected, and don’t fear failure. It adds value, attracts others, and challenges the status quo. Remove creativity killers, ask bold questions, build a creative environment, spend time with creative people, and stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Skill 2: Focused thinking unlocks potential. Like Crayola staying true to children's art supplies, focus channels energy, matures ideas, and brings clarity. Prioritize what matters, remove distractions, set goals, track progress, and adjust. Doing a few things well requires giving up many. Choose impact over breadth and stay committed to what matters most.

Skill 1: Big‑picture thinking expands what’s possible. Eratosthenes proved it by estimating Earth’s size with shadows, assuming it was round not flat. This mindset means learning continually, listening well, and seeing beyond the obvious. It helps leaders spot vision early, size up situations, guide teams, avoid the mundane, and explore new ground. Keep learning, growing, and looking wide.

In Chap 3 Maxwell relates skills and practices on mastering intentional thinking. His formula is The Right Thought plus the Right People in the Right Environment at the Right Time for the Right Reason = the Right Result. He elaborates: act to find a thinking place for good thoughts, stretch thoughts, expose yourself to good thinkers and sources, have a good sounding board, and learn, improve, repeat the process.

Chapter 2 illustrates the positive impact of changed thinking through case studies and examples. People are limited by their own thinking, often boxed in by rules, regulations, and programs instead of issues and ideas. Changed thinking is not automatic, is difficult, it's worth it, and the best gift you can give to others. It changes beliefs, expectations, attitudrs, behaviors, performance, and your life.

Chap 1 explains the importance of great thinking and gives several reasons why success in life or a profession is caused by great thinking. Too many people are taught facts or what to think, not how to think, and how to think well. The latter causes people to distinguish their lives and careers from mediocre thinkers. 11 specific thinking skills will be explained and illustrated with examples by Maxwell.