Carla's Artistry of Change » Lord Kelvin http://carlarieger.com/blog Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:40:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Change Challenged people like to point out the flaws in people’s ideas http://carlarieger.com/blog/change-challenged-people-like-to-point-out-the-flaws-in-peoples-ideas/ http://carlarieger.com/blog/change-challenged-people-like-to-point-out-the-flaws-in-peoples-ideas/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:49:03 +0000 carla http://carlarieger.com/blog/?p=346

What Seems Impossible to You?

 

white-queen

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
- said by the White Queen in Alice through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

 

Change Challenged people like to point out the flaws in people’s ideas

A Change Artist, on the other hand, is like the White Queen and believes in impossible things.  Now there is a distinction between foolishly ignoring challenges on your path and planning for them while staying focused on a positive outcome. Change Challenged people tend to write off ideas much too early, whereas Change Artists take time to explore their top ideas more thoroughly. All the great leaders, inventors, scientists and artists of all time have had to keep going in the face of naysayers, self-doubt, set backs, and cynicism.

Famous naysayers

Here are some well-respected authorities who ended up being wrong:

Lord Kelvin, president of the Royal Society, in 1895 said “Heavier-than-air flying machines are mathematically impossible.”

Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, in 1899 said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”

Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, in 1943 said, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” –

Decca Recording Co. said this in 1962 when they first heard the Beatles, “This will never sell because guitar music is on the way out.”

And finally, my favourite…
In 1981 Bill Gates said, “640 KB ought to be enough for anybody.”


So what are we saying to ourselves, within our organizations, or in our societies that is impossible that actually is very possible?  Think back 10 or 20 years (to 1999 or 1989), could you have ever imagined some of the inventions or social changes in the world today? Now think ahead 5, 10, 20 years, imagine the impossible things that will come to pass.

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