how to think like leonardo da vinci (notes)

How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:Liberating Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace

Featuring Michael Gelb

Participant Materials

Participant Materials created by PBS The Business & Technology NetworkProgram produced by Impact TelevisionPBS and the PBS logo are trademarks and service marks of the Public Broadcasting Service and are used with its permission.

Dear Participant,

Welcome to How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. Today's presentation is based on thebest-selling book How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day,by Michael Gelb, founder and president of The High Performance Learning© Center.Michael Gelb is a widely known expert in creative approaches to improving performance. Hehas worked with numerous businesses including Amoco, AT&T, DuPont, Ford, IBM, NationalPublic Radio and Xerox, to teach their leaders and staff the same Da Vinci principles he willbe presenting to you today.

In addition to his ground-breaking work on Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Gelb is widely knownas the author of Mind Mapping, Body Learning, Thinking for a Change, Samurai Chess (withGrand Master Raymond Keene), and Lessons from the Art of Juggling (with Tony Buzan).

Exploring the art, sculpture, music and notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Gelbidentified seven key principles in the thinking of this great genius. He asserts that theseprinciples can be taught, and that anyone can learn how to think like a genius.

Today's program provides new approaches to inspiring creativity, developing critical thinkingskills, and generating new ideas. In the next two and a half hours, Michael Gelb will share theseven principles and invite you to participate in understanding them and actively practicingthem.

While viewing the presentation, follow along and take notes in this participant guide. It cuesyou to key learning points and includes numerous activities and specified "homework" toenable your learning. Be prepared to have your customary ways of thinking challenged.

Today's organizations desperately need people who have both analytical skills and boldimagination, who can create innovative products and new businesses. Michael Gelb'spresentation – and the tools it contains – can help you and your organization achieve newlevels of performance.

Of course, Leonardo Da Vinci did not develop his genius overnight, nor did Michael Gelblearn how to understand that genius and apply his methods in just a couple of hours. Simplywatching today’s program will not transform you into an instant genius. It requires rigorousself-development and learning through practice. To facilitate this learning, activities forbefore, during and after the seminar have been designed to accompany the presentation.Look for cues in the section entitled “How to Get the Most Out of This Seminar” beginning onpage 5. There is also a useful list of resources at the end of the participant's guide,beginning on page 34.

For those participating in the live presentation of the program, you will have the opportunityto ask questions by phone, fax, or e-mail.

Telephone: 800.848.1109Fax: 301.280.1760E-mail: talk@ntuc.com

How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci

Program Outline Page

Introduction 7

Maximizing Our Potential 8

Learning from Leonardo: 7 Steps to Genius Every Day 9

Activity 1: Assessing your Curiosita 10

CURIOSITA: Approaching life with insatiable curiosityand an unrelenting quest for continuous learningActivity 2: Curiosita Skill Builder 11

DIMOSTRAZIONE: Committing to test knowledge throughexperience, persistence and a willingness to learn from mistakesActivity 3: Dimostrazione Assessment and Skill Builder 15

SENSAZIONE: Continually refining the senses, especiallysight, as the means to enliven experience

Homework 1.

SFUMATO: Embracing ambiguity, paradox and uncertaintyActivity 4: Assessing Sfumato 17

Activity 5: Sfumato Skill Builder 20

INTERMISSION - 5 minute break

Learning from Leonardo: 7 Steps to Genius Every Day (continued)

ARTE/SCIENZA: Balancing science and art, logic andimagination - ‘whole-brain thinking’Activity 6: Arte/Scienza Assessment - Left-brain/right-brain 24

Activity 7: Arte/Scienza Skill Builder - Mind mapping 28

Homework 2.

CORPORALITA: Cultivating grace, ambidexterity, fitness and poiseHomework 3.

CONNESSIONE: Recognizing and appreciating theinterconnectedness of all things – ‘systems thinking’Activity 8: Connessione Assessment 30

Activity 9: Connessione Skill Builder 31

INTERMISSION - 5 minute break

Question and Answer session 32

Wrap up 33

What You Will Learn:

By participating in this seminar, you will be able to:

• Increase your creative capabilities every day

• Apply methods to balance critical and analytical thinking with imagination

• Expand your ability to generate new ideas

• Use mind maps to navigate through ambiguity and uncertainty

• Identify how to apply "systems thinking" to problem solving

• Nurture creativity and innovation in your organization

How To Get The Most Out Of This Seminar. . .

Pre-Presentation Activities

Ø Prepare yourself for challenge. Some of the concepts presented in this seminar mayask you to stretch the scope of your thinking.

Ø Open yourself to new ideas, it is often helpful to relax both mind and body throughsimple breathing exercises. Begin by sitting erect with your back straight and yourhead centered above the torso. Let your arms dangle loosely. Rest your hands onyour thighs or knees with your elbows close to your body.

Ø Close your eyes to avoid being distracted, and breathe in a deep breath slowly untilyour lungs are full. Then exhale at a slightly more rapid rate and breathe in slowlyagain. Envision the air entering and leaving your body. Repeat this for a minute ortwo.

Since the purpose of this exercise is to help tension fall away, you should "pass" if it makesyou uncomfortable to do this among colleagues. On the other hand, the peaceful feeling thatis induced by this practice might just be worth the risk of discomfort.

During this Program

Ø Participate! Learning is not a passive activity. You can absorb a lot by justlooking and listening, but you'll learn a great deal more if you are activelyinvolved.

Ø Take notes in the space provided in this participant guide. Different people takenotes differently. This has been accommodated by providing blank space fornotes without ruled lines. To get the most out of this program, you might want totake notes in a way that is new for you. If you are accustomed to writing notesout, try drawing pictures instead to capture your ideas. If you usually doodle yourway through notes, try structuring your notes in outline form. If you are a superstenographer who always catches the content verbatim, try taking notes with yournon-dominant hand! Pages have been identified with key words to act as cues foryour notes.

Ø Contribute to the discussion. Jot down any questions that come to mind duringthe presentation and fax or email them. You can also collect your questions onpage 32 and then call in your question during the question and answer period atthe end of the program.

Ø Engage in the learning activities. Throughout the seminar there will beopportunities to participate in activities designed to reinforce the learning.Although you will be pressed for time, be sure to at least begin each activity, andwrite down any questions that arise during the work. If you begin each activity itwill be easier for you to return later to those that you could not complete.

Ø Fill out and submit the evaluation form.

Post-Presentation Activities

Ø Complete any unfinished activities. These are important skill-builders that willhelp you internalize the Da Vinci principles.

Ø Do the "homework". You will find a wealth of post-presentation activitiesbeginning on page 34. Because there is not enough time during the seminar topractice each of the Da Vinci principles, activities have been provided that will notonly reinforce the learning, but will help you apply what you have learned in yourorganization.

Ø Share what you have learned with other members of your organization who werenot present at the seminar.

Ø Read Michael Gelb's book, How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Stepsto Genius Every Day (Delacorte Press, New York, 1998).

Ø Consider using the resources listed at the end of the participant's guide to learnmore, and to develop one or more new skills that will expand your brain'scapability. The "recommended reading" list begins on page 46.

Introduction

For more than five centuries Western civilization has viewed with admiration and awethe life and works of a great genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo Da Vinci. Thephrase "Renaissance man", which is used to describe anyone with a multitude oftalents and skills, might have been coined to describe Leonardo Da Vinci. He was apainter whose masterpieces still influence artists today and delight all who see them.He was an astronomer, a musician, a scientist, an inventor, and a profoundphilosopher, who kept meticulous notes and sketches of all he thought and observed.

How did he achieve all this? Da Vinci himself has recorded his methods and hasdescribed how to think, how to develop and use our inherent capabilities, how tointegrate everything we learn into one harmonious whole.

Five centuries later, as people search for new ways to improve the performance oftheir organizations, Da Vinci's ideas have re-emerged as the buzzwords ofmanagement theory. When we speak of

"continuous learning","whole-brain thinking","mind-body connection""brainstorming","systems thinking","thriving on chaos",

we are simply using new language to describe concepts set down long ago byLeonardo Da Vinci.

In today's global marketplace, all organizations are searching for ways to revitalizethemselves. Corporations, government entities and non-profits all need to find newmethods of working, new ways to organize themselves, new products and services ina rapidly changing world. People in organizations are being called upon to developcompetencies that will enlarge their own scope and will yield innovation andproductivity for their organizations. For these people, Leonardo Da Vinci has amessage: If you are willing to apply yourself, you can learn how to think like a genius!

Introduction to Michael Gelb:

Leonardo Da Vinci:

Maximizing Our Potential - You don't have to be a genius to think like one:

Learning from Leonardo:

Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

♦ CURIOSITA:

Approaching life with insatiable curiosity and an unrelenting quest for continuouslearning

♦ DIMOSTRAZIONE:

Committing to test knowledge through experience, persistence and a willingness tolearn from mistakes

♦ SENSAZIONE:

Continually refining the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience

♦ SFUMATO

Embracing ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty

♦ ARTE/SCIENZA

Balancing science and art, logic and imagination - ‘whole-brain thinking’

♦ CORPORALITA

Cultivating grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise

♦ CONNESSIONE

Recognizing and appreciating the interconnectedness of all things – ‘systemsthinking’

Curiosita: Approaching life with insatiable curiosity and an unrelenting quest for continuous

learning:

ACTIVITY 1:

Assessing Your Curiosita

Your curiosita is what brought you to this seminar. Your desire to learn and develop yournatural abilities is the fountain from which all Da Vincian practices will flow. Begin byanswering the questions below. Your answers will indicate how well you are already usingyour curiosita, and where there is room for improvement.

True False

My friends would describe me as open-minded & curious.

I am always learning something new.

I seek out new perspectives when facing an important decision.

I take adequate time for reflection.

I am a voracious reader.

When I hear a new word, I always look it up.

I solicit feedback from friends, relations & colleagues.

I love learning.

I am skilled at identifying and solving problems.

I keep a journal to record insights and questions.

What If? . . . :

ACTIVITY 2:

Curiosita Skill Builder:

"What, When, Who, How, Where, Why… and What if"?

Think of a real problem or question that you are concerned with in your work or within yourorganization. Write your question or problem statement below, and then fill in answers to"what, when, who, how, where, and why". Some cues have been provided to stimulateyour thinking.

Once the problem has been explored, set the problem aside for a while, and then, whenyou return to it, propose as many "what if" scenarios as you can think of. Enlist the help ofcolleagues and associates. Record all scenarios, no matter how outrageous they seem atfirst. Then select one or more scenarios, and subject them to the six-question treatment.

QUESTION/PROBLEM STATEMENT:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What . . .

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

is the problem? are the underlying issues? preconceptions, prejudices, or paradigmsmay be influencing my perception ? will happen if I ignore it? problems may becaused by solving this problem? metaphors from nature can I use to illuminate it?

When. . .

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

did it start? does it happen? doesn't it happen? will the consequences of it be felt?must it be resolved?

Who. . .____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

cares about it? is affected by it? created it? perpetuates it? can help solve it?

How. . .____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

does it happen? can I get more objective information? can I look at it from unfamiliarperspectives? can it be changed? will I know that it has been solved?

Where. . .____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

does it happen? did it begin? haven't I looked? else has this happened?

Why. . .____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

is it important? did it start? does it continue?

(Ask Why, Why, Why, Why, Why . . . to get to the bottom of an issue.)

What have you learned about your question or problem from asking these questions?Summarize your insights below.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What if…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Try this exercise with others in a group problem-solving session.)

Dimostrazione: Committing to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and awillingness to learn from mistakes:

Open-mindedness:

Persistence:

Willing to make mistakes:

ACTIVITY 3:

Dimostrazione: Assessment & Skill-Builder

Rate yourself with these questions, answering "mostly yes" or "mostly no". For eachquestion, jot down an instance in your experience when the answer was "yes" and aninstance when the answer was "no":

§ Do I view mistakes as learning experiences? Y N"Yes" example__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"No" example___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

§ Am I willing to acknowledge my mistakes? Y N"Yes" example__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"No" example___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

§ Do I question ‘conventional wisdom’ and authority? Y N"Yes" example__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"No" example___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

§ Do I persevere in the face of obstacles? Y N"Yes" example__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"No" example___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Now, select a problem at work and ask, "How would I handle it differently if I weren’tafraid of making mistakes"?

Write your answer here:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sensazione: Continually refining the senses, especially sight, as the means to enlivenexperience:

Sfumato: Embracing ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty:

Mona Lisa:

Ambiguity and uncertainty:

ACTIVITY 4:

Assessing Sfumato

In this activity you will be assessing the degree to which you embrace ambiguity, paradoxand uncertainty. In the following list, quickly rate yourself on a scale of 1-5, where 1represents a need for certainty at all times, and 5 represents a well-developed capacity forambiguity and comfort with uncertainty and paradox. Then, go back and write down anexample from recent experience which illustrates your self-rating. Finally, add up your"score". A total less than 30 indicates a strong need to develop your ability to "go up insmoke" if you want to think like Leonardo Da Vinci.

I am comfortable with ambiguity. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am in touch with my intuition. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I thrive on change. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I see the humor in life every day. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I know when I feel anxious. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I spend sufficient time with myself. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I trust my gut. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I can hold contradictory ideas in my mind. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I delight in paradox and irony. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I believe that conflict ofteninspires creativity. 1 2 3 4 5Example:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tolerating uncertainty:

Intuition:

ACTIVITY 5:

Sfumato: Skill Building

Here are two activities aimed at strengthening your Sfumato skills. Select one of them toget started on during the seminar, and plan to come back afterward to complete the other.

Activity 1:

Cultivate Confusion Endurance: The Sfumato principle asks us to sharpen our senses inthe face of paradox and embrace creative tension. It is useful to explore the paradoxes inour everyday lives. For example:

• Strengths and weaknesses. List at least three of your personal weaknesses. Then listthree or more of your personal strengths.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How are these qualities related?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Goals and process. Write down an important goal you accomplished at work.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the process you followed. How do goal and process relate?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Have you ever achieved success without experiencing fulfillment?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In your personal experience does the end justify the means? Why, or why not?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can continue this exercise indefinitely by examining other paradox pairs in your life:Joy and sorrow, good and evil, change and constancy, humility and pride, etc.

Activity 2:

Making space for incubation: When do you get your best ideas? Think of a moment ofcreative breakthrough. Trace the process. Were you alone? What kind of input precededthe breakthrough? Did you have to take a break? How long a break? Do you have a strongfaith in your creative process? Give examples of success.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome back from the break. In the first section of our program, we looked at:• Human potential• The genius of Leonardo Da Vinci

We then explored the first four of seven steps to genius every day:

• CURIOSITA:Approaching life with insatiable curiosity and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning

• DIMOSTRAZIONE:Committing to test knowledge through experience, persistence and a willingness to learnfrom mistakes

• SENSAZIONE:Continually refining the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience

• SFUMATOEmbracing ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty

In this next section we will continue learning from Leonardo by taking a closer look at the lastthree of the seven steps:

• ARTE/SCIENZABalancing science and art, logic and imagination - ‘whole-brain thinking’

• CORPORALITACultivating grace, ambidexterity, fitness and poise

• CONNESSIONERecognizing and appreciating the interconnectedness of all things – ‘systems thinking’

Arte/Scienza: Balancing science and art, logic and imagination - ‘whole-brain thinking’:

Whole-brain thinking:

ACTIVITY 6:

Arte/Scienza Assessment

(Left-brain/Right-brain)

This self-assessment is designed to help you get a rough idea as to whether you tend to be"left-brained" or "right-brained". Circle a value from 1 to 5 for each statement, where 5 is"very much so" and 1 is "not at all".

I like details. 1 2 3 4 5

I am almost always on time. 1 2 3 4 5

I am skilled at math. 1 2 3 4 5

I rely on logic. 1 2 3 4 5

I write clearly. 1 2 3 4 5

Friends describe me as articulate. 1 2 3 4 5

Analysis is one of my strengths. 1 2 3 4 5

I am organized and disciplined. 1 2 3 4 5

I like lists. 1 2 3 4 5

I start a book at page 1 and read in order. 1 2 3 4 5

The preceding list describes a classic "left-brained" person. See how you do on this next list:

I am highly imaginative. 1 2 3 4 5

I am good at brainstorming. 1 2 3 4 5

I often say or do the unexpected. 1 2 3 4 5

I love to doodle. 1 2 3 4 5

In school, I was better atgeometry than algebra. 1 2 3 4 5

I read a book by skipping around. 1 2 3 4 5

I look at the big picture, leave thedetails to others. 1 2 3 4 5

I often lose track of time. 1 2 3 4 5

I rely on intuition. 1 2 3 4 5

Most people have a proclivity toward one hemisphere or the other of the brain. Was thatyour result? Of course, all people have a "left-brain" and a "right-brain". Looking at your ownanswers, you can see that you have some characteristics of each. But having a proclivitytoward one hemisphere points at the opportunity to bring the brain in balance - balancingArte and Scienza - by developing the less prominent capabilities of the brain.

Mind Mapping

The Rules

1) Begin your mind map with a symbol or a picture (representing your topic) at thecenter of your page.

Starting at the center opens your mind to a full 360 degrees of association. Pictures andsymbols are much easier to remember than words. Drawing a picture or symbol stimulates

your right hemisphere and strengthens your ability to think creatively about your subject.

2) Use key words.

Key words are the information-rich "nuggets" of recall and creative association. Choosing keywords exercises your analytical "left brain" and helps you find the essence of your subject.

3) Connect the key words with lines radiating from your central image.

By linking words with lines ("branches"), you'll show clearly how one key word relates to

another.

4) Print your key words.

Printing is easier to read and remember than writing.

5) Print one key word per line.

By doing this, you free yourself to discover the maximum number of creative associations for

each key word. The discipline of one word per line also trains you to focus on the mostappropriate key word, enhancing the precision of your thought and minimizing clutter.

6) Print your key words on the lines and make the length of the word the same as theline it is on.

This maximizes clarity of association and encourages economy of space.

7) Use colors, pictures, dimension, and codes for greater association and emphasis.

Highlight important points and illustrate relationships between different branches of yourmind map. You might, for instance, prioritize your main points through color-coding,

highlighting in yellow the most important points, using blue for secondary points, and so forth.

Pictures and images, preferably in vivid color, should be used wherever possible; theystimulate your creative association and greatly enhance your memory.

ACTIVITY 7:

Arte / Scienza Skill Builder

Mind mapping activates both Arte and Scienza – your whole brain. Mind maps let youorganize your material logically and even sequentially, while encouraging imagination andspontaneity. Mind maps record in detail where you've been, while suggesting a multitude ofpotential next steps.

Practice this important skill. Begin by creating a mind map in the space below of what youhave learned so far in this seminar:

Write down a problem at work you would like to solve:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plan to mind map this problem and brainstorm solutions later. Share the mind mapping

technique with colleagues and associates and enlist their help in using a mind map to define

and solve this problem. You will find a valuable mind-mapping post-presentation activity on

Corporalita: Cultivating grace, ambidexterity, fitness and poise:

Fitness and grace:

Connessione: Recognizing and appreciating the interconnectedness of all things –

‘systems thinking’:

Juggling:

ACTIVITY 8:

Connessione Assessment

The ability to see the interconnectedness of things, to appreciate how separate things andphenomena relate to the whole is often called "systems thinking". Do you think of yourselfas a ‘systems thinker’? Answer these questions on a scale of 1-5, where 1 is "never" or"not at all" and 5 is "always" or "completely".

I enjoy analogies and metaphors. 1 2 3 4 5

I frequently make connectionsother people miss. 1 2 3 4 5

I can articulate systems dynamics –patterns, connections, and networks –in the workplace. 1 2 3 4 5

I seek a ‘holistic’ approach to health. 1 2 3 4 5

My life goals and work are integratedwith my values. 1 2 3 4 5

I study the details to grasp the ‘whole’. 1 2 3 4 5

At times I feel connected with all creation. 1 2 3 4 5

Why would you want to improve your Connessione?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Systems Thinking:

ACTIVITY 9:

Connessione Skill Builder

Metaphors and analogies are useful ways to make connections that are not otherwise

apparent. You can practice making connections by using the body metaphor to explore the

dynamics of your organization, department or work unit:

Which organization are you exploring?_______________________________

Who is the head?________________________________________________Who is the heart?________________________________________________

What is the stage of our development?_______________________________

Is the head in harmony with the body?______________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the quality of nourishment?__________________________________

How is our circulation?____________________________________________What is our backbone?____________________________________________

Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing?____________________

Are we ambidextrous?_____________________________________________What is the state of our health? Chronic maladies? Growing pains? Life threatening

disease?________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are we doing to be more fit?____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Where do I fit in?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question Sheet

Use this form to write your questions for Michael Gelb or for discussion among your

colleagues. Please write clearly.

Name (optional) ___________________________________________________________

Organization __________________________________________________________

Location __________________________________________________________

Your question (25 words or less):

____________________________________________________________________

Tel 800-848-1109 (USA and Canada)

Fax 301-280-1760

E-mail talk@ntuc.com

PBS and the PBS logo are trademarks and service marks of the Public Broadcasting Service and are used with its permission.

Wrap-up

In today's session we focussed on your unlimited potential to liberate your creativity and

ignite innovation in your organization. We learned that some of the most modern ideas

about creativity and high performance were actually formulated centuries ago by a great

genius, Leonardo Da Vinci.

Michael Gelb helped us learn from Leonardo by explaining the "seven steps to genius

every day":

• CURIOSITA:

Approaching life with insatiable curiosity and an unrelenting quest forcontinuous learning

• DIMOSTRAZIONE:

Committing to test knowledge through experience, persistence and awillingness to learn from mistakes

• SENSAZIONE:

Continually refining the senses, especially sight, as the means to enlivenexperience

• SFUMATO

Embracing ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty

• ARTE/SCIENZA

Balancing science and art, logic and imagination - ‘whole-brain thinking’

• CORPORALITA

Cultivating grace, ambidexterity, fitness and poise

• CONNESSIONE

Recognizing and appreciating the interconnectedness of all things – ‘systemsthinking’

In his presentation, Michael Gelb explained the method for using these seven principles. A

wealth of exercises has been provided for your use both during the presentation and

afterward, offering opportunities to learn and develop the skills embodied in this method.

Not everyone can be a genius. But through rigor and dedicated application, anyone can

learn how to think like a genius. With this knowledge and these tools at your disposal, you

and your organization can begin a new period of increased creativity and innovation.

Post-Presentation Activities

During this seminar there was not enough time to assess and build skills relating to allseven of the Da Vinci principles. Beginning on the next page you will find a series ofactivities that will augment the work you did during the seminar. Before tackling these, besure to go back and complete the activities you began during the seminar. You will notethat some of those also have post-presentation components.

POST-PRESENTATION ACTIVITY:

Assessing Sensazione

Think of the time in the past year when you felt most alive. Chances are that you canconjure up all the images and sensations associated with that event, because at such timesyour senses tend to be heightened and focused. By refining your Sensazione, you will beable to bring the sensory aliveness of your peak experiences to your life every day.

In the pages that follow you will find some suggestions for activities and exercises designedto develop your Sensazione. As before, it is helpful to assess the current state of yourSensazione. Begin by ticking off the checklists below to help identify where your senses aremost developed and which senses need more work.

Self-Assessment: Vision

When different colors and hues are side by side, I am sensitive as to whether theyharmonize or clash.I know the color of all my friends' eyes.I look out into the far horizon and up to the sky at least once a day.

I am good at describing a scene in detail.I like doodling and drawing.Friends would describe me as alert.I am sensitive to subtle changes in lighting.I can picture things clearly in my mind's eye.

Self-Assessment: Hearing

Friends describe me as a good listener.I am sensitive to noise.I can tell when someone is singing off-key.I can sing on key.I listen to jazz or classical music regularly.I can distinguish the melody from the bass line in a piece of music.I know what all the controls on my stereo system are for and can hear thedifference when I adjust them.I enjoy silence.

I am attuned to subtle changes in a speaker's voice tone, volume, and inflection.

Self-Assessment: Smell

I have a favorite scent (What is it? Why do I like it? What does it remind me of?)Smells affect my emotions strongly, for better or worse.I can recognize friends by their scent.I know how to use aromas to influence my mood.I can reliably judge the quality of food or wine by its aroma.When I see fresh flowers, I usually take a few moments to breathe in their aroma.

Self-Assessment: Touch

I am aware of the "feel" of the surfaces that surround me daily, i.e., the chairs,sofas, and car seats I sit on.I am sensitive to the quality of fabric that I wear.

I like to touch and be touched.

Friends say I give great hugs.

I know how to listen with my hands.

When I touch someone, I can tell if they are tense or relaxed.

Self-Assessment: Taste

I can taste the "freshness" of fresh foods.I enjoy many different types of cuisine.I seek out unusual taste experiences.I can discern the flavor contributions of different herbs and spices in a complexdish.I am a good cook.I eat consciously, aware of the taste of my food.I avoid junk food.I avoid eating on the run.I enjoy participating in taste tests and wine tastings.

Self-Assessment: Synesthesia

I enjoy describing one sense in terms of another.My experience of one sense affects all my other senses.I intuitively understand which colors are "cold" and which are "hot."My response to art is visceral.I am aware of the role of synesthesia in the thinking of great artists and scientists.I can sense which of these sounds, ooooohhlaaaa, zip-zip-zip, ni-ni-ni-ni-ni, arereflected in the following shapes: ~', ^ ^ ^, vvvvv.

Sensazione: Skill Building

VISION: LOOKING AND SEEING:

The Eye-Palming Exercise. Sit at a desk in a quiet, private place. Keep your feet squarely onthe floor and sit so that you are supported by the bones at the bottom of your pelvis. If youwear glasses, take them off; contact lenses are okay. Now rub your palms togethervigorously for about twenty seconds. Resting your elbows lightly on the desk, cup your palmsand place them gently over your closed eyes. (Do not touch the eyeball or put pressure onthe sides of your nose.) Breathe deeply, in an easy, relaxed fashion, and rest with your eyesclosed for about three minutes. When you are ready to finish, take your palms away fromyour eyes, but leave your eyes closed for another twenty seconds or so. (Do not rub youreyes!) Then gently open your eyes and look around. Write down your impressions.

Focus Near and Far. This is a very simple and valuable exercise that you can practice manytimes each day. Look at something close to you, such as this page or your hand; nowchange your focus to the farthest horizon. Pick out a specific element of the far horizon andfocus on it for a few seconds; then come back to your hand, and again out to the farthesthorizon, focusing on a different element this time. In addition to enlivening your eyes andexpanding your perception, this exercise can improve your driving and specifically preventyou from speeding, unknowingly, past state troopers on the freeway.

"Soft Eyes." Sitting in front of a computer screen and reading reports drives many peopletoward a habitually hard, narrow focus. Instead, allow a few deep exhalations and try thefollowing exercise:

Place your index fingers together at eye level about twelve inches from your face. Lookingstraight ahead, move your fingers slowly away from each other on the horizontal plane. Stopmoving your fingers when you can no longer see them with your peripheral vision. Bring yourfingers back to center and do the same exercise with the vertical plane. Exhale.

Now "soften" your eyes by relaxing the muscles of your forehead, face, and jaw and allow areceptivity to the broadest possible expanse of vision. Note the way this exercise affects yourmind and body (XO percent of your eyes' light receptors are designed for peripheral vision).How do you feel when you soften your eyes? Write down your impressions .

LISTENING AND HEARING:

Every sound and every silence provides an opportunity to deepen auditory attunement; butcity sounds can be overwhelming and cause us to dull our sensitivity. Surrounded by noisesfrom televisions, airplanes, subways and automobiles, most of us "tune out" forself-protection. Try the following exercises to "tune up" your auditory sense.

Layered Listening. Enjoy a few full deep exhalations, and listen to the sounds around younow. First you'll hear the loudest, most obvious sounds: the air conditioning, the clock ticking,the traffic outside, the background noises of people and machinery. Then, as that "layer"becomes clarified, begin to notice the next layer down. Sounds of your breathing, a gentlebreeze, footsteps in the hall, the shifting of your sleeve when you move your hand. Keepmoving your awareness deeper into the next layer and then the next . . . do this for the nextfew minutes and then record your observations:

Listen for Silence. Practice listening for the spaces between sounds— in music,conversation, wherever you hear it. Find a place of complete silence. On a blank page,describe how silence sounds, and how it feels to be in a place of complete quiet:

AROMATIC AWARENESS

Every day, all day, we are confronted with a smorgasbord of smells. Our five million olfactorycells can sniff out one molecule of an odor-causing substance in one part per trillion of air.And we take about 23,000 breaths per day, processing about 440 cubic feet of scent-ladenair. But most people have a very limited vocabulary for describing aromatic experience: "Itstinks" or "That smells good" are the most common references. Aim to increase yourdiscrimination and appreciation for smell by expanding your olfactory vocabulary. Perfumerscategorize smells as floral (roses), minty (peppermint), musky (musk), ethereal (pears),resinous (camphor), foul (rotten eggs), and acrid (vinegar). Use these terms and make upyour own descriptors as you explore the following exercises.

What Do You Smell Right Now? In the manner of your most beloved canine acquaintance,explore your immediate environment with your nose. Breathe in the smell of the surroundingair, your shirt, a pencil or pen, or the paper these words are printed on. Describe what yousmell, right now, as vividly as you can.

Make "Smells" a Theme for a Day. Record what you smell and how it affects you through thecourse of a day. Most people find that smell has a powerful effect on their emotions andmemory. Seek out unusual or intense aromas. Spend half an hour at your favorite florists.Make a scent-centered visit to your nearest zoo. Inhale the aroma of ten different perfumes

and describe your reactions. How does smell affect your moods? Your memory? List threespecific examples of aromas affecting your emotion or recall:

Olfactory Cornucopia. This exercise is easier and more fun to do with friends. Assemble arange of items with distinctive aromas; for example,: a slice of lemon, a piece of sod, a fewleaves of basil, your pillowcase, some Tiger Balm or Vicks VapoRub, freshly ground coffee, ajar of capers, a piece of charcoal. Put on a blindfold and ask a friend to hold each item, inturn, close to your nose for thirty seconds. Describe each smell and your reaction to it:

GOOD TASTE

For most of us, the opportunity to taste presents itself at least three times a day. But in therush of our lives, it is often difficult to pay attention. It is all too easy to "grab a bite on therun," and to consume an entire meal without really tasting anything. Instead, pause for a fewmoments before every meal. Reflect on the origins of the meal you are about to enjoy. Aim tobe 100 percent present as you taste the first bite of your food.

Comparative Tasting: Just as comparing one great performance to another is a marvelousway to develop your hearing, the same holds true for taste and smell. Buy three differentkinds of chocolate (i.e., dark, milk, semisweet). Begin by looking carefully at each one anddescribing any differences you observe in color or clarity. Then smell each one for thirtyseconds. Describe the aromas. Next taste each one in turn; hold a piece in your mouth andlet it melt on your tongue. Take a sip of spring water between tastes to clear your palate.Describe the differences in aroma and taste:

TOUCHING AND FEELING

Your brain receives information from more than 500,000 touch detectors and 200,000temperature sensors. Yet Leonardo lamented that most people "touch without feeling." Thesecret of sensitive "feeling" touch is an attitude of receptivity, learning to "listen" deeply withyour hands and whole body.

Touch Like an Angel. Imagine the quality of touch that Leonardo used in applying thegossamer layers of paint in creating his angels and virgins. Now, with the exquisite delicacyof the maestro as your inspiration, touch the objects around you. Touch the world around youas though you were experiencing each sensation for the first time. Record your observations.Begin by describing the feeling of your pen in your hand as you write.

Blindfold Touch. Invite a friend to share this exercise. Assemble as many of the followingobjects as you can find: a leather jacket, a cashmere scarf, a glass, a potato, a rose, ahandful of coins, a scouring pad, a sponge, a dab of moisturizing cream, your friend's hand,

and anything else you would like to explore. Put on a blindfold and explore them all withreceptive, listening hands. Describe the textures, weight, temperature, and other sensations.

Touch Nature. Go outside and explore the textures of nature: the needles of a pine tree,rocks and stones, flowing water, the wind, the earth at your feet. Write your observationsdown.

SYNESTHESIA

Synesthesia, the merging of the senses, is a characteristic of great artistic and scientificgeniuses. You can heighten all your powers of Sensazione by cultivating synestheticawareness. A simple way to begin is to practice describing one sense in terms of the others.Try the following exercises for developing synesthesia.

Drawing Music. Listen to your favorite piece of music. As you listen, experiment withexpressing your impressions by drawing shapes and colors.

Shaping the Invisible. If you were to sculpt a particular piece of music, what materials wouldyou use? What shapes would you make? Which colors? How would the music smell? If youcould bite into the music, what would it taste like? Try this imaginary multisensorial sculptingexercise with at least two of your favorite pieces of music.

Sounds of Color. Look at a reproduction of your favorite painting. Vocalize the soundsinspired by the colors, shapes, and textures on the canvas.

Transpositions. Make a list of great artists and composers. Imagine transposing them basedon their work, not their personalities. In other words, if Picasso were a composer who wouldhe be? If Aaron Copland were a painter, who would he be? For example, perhaps, if Picassowere a musician he could be Stravinsky; and if Copland were a painter he might be AndrewWyeth. This is a delightful exercise to do with friends. After everyone has offered a fewtranspositions, ask each person to explain their choices.

Synesthetic Problem-Solving. Think back to one of the questions you worked with inCuriosita. Give it a color, shape, and texture. Imagine what it smells and tastes like. Howdoes it feel? What are the textures, tastes, shapes, colors, and sounds of some possiblesolutions?

Practice Your Mind-Mapping Skills

Mind mapping is an invaluable tool for simplifying complex tasks such as strategic planning,presentation preparation, meeting management, test preparation, and systems analysis.Probably it is best to make your first few mind maps on relatively simple, lightheartedsubjects. Choose one of the following topics to practice your mind-mapping skill. Take abouttwenty minutes for this first practice map.

Mind Map Your Favorite Movie. Begin with a simple drawing that represents your favoritemovie's title. Print key words and draw images that express the characters, plot, and themes.Remember to put key words and images on lines radiating out from your central symbol.

Mind Map Your Dream House. Explore the delightful fantasy of a dream house using a mindmap. Start with a symbol of your paradise in the center and then branch out with key wordsand images that represent the elements of your ideal living environment. Remember, let yourmind work by association instead of trying to put things down in order. Just generate ideasfor your ideal environment. Then after you have come up with a multitude of possibilities, youcan go back and put them in order.

After you've made one or two practice mind maps, tackle the problem you wrote down at theseminar.

Instructions:Think of an idea at work that you have been exploring.1. Use a large piece of paper2. Think of THE idea you would like to explore or the problem you would like to solve3. In the center draw an abstract image of your topic4. Free associate branches of the map – use keywords, color, pictures - "Off the wall" is OK5. Take a break and then generate another wave of branches6. Take another break – review – look for connections and emerging themes – connectrelated parts of your mind map with arrows, codes, colors, etc.

Now, find relationships that can help you integrate and organize the most cogent ideas andthen reorder them to reflect new possibilities or solutions.

Assessing Corporalita

The idea that a robust mind and a healthy body are linked was not original with Leonardo DaVinci. It is one of the concepts from ancient Greece that was revived during theRenaissance, and it is a concept that is given lip service in our present-day civilization. Butthe reality is that as we move forward into the "information age", more and more work is donesedentary, and less and less time is devoted to maintaining physical health, let alonephysical development. Many organizations want your "analytical and creative skills" withoutunderstanding that these depend as much on a well-developed physical being as on "brainpower". Leonardo Da Vinci understood this fully more than 5 centuries ago, and he had aprescription for minimal physical and mental health. He wrote:

"To keep in health these rules are wise:• Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods.• Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful.• Be covered well at night.• Exercise moderately.• Shun wantonness, and pay attention to diet.• Eat only when you want and sup light.• Keep upright when you rise from the dining table.• Do not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered.• Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between mealsand not on an empty stomach.• Eat simple (i.e., vegetarian) food.• Chew well.• Go to the toilet regularly!"

Assess your own corporalita by putting a check mark next to each statement that describes you.

I am aerobically fit.I am getting stronger.My flexibility is improving.I know when my body is tense or relaxed.I am knowledgeable about diet and nutrition.Friends would describe me as graceful.I am becoming more ambidextrous.I am aware of the ways in which my physical state affects my attitudes.I am aware of the ways in which my attitudes affect my physical state.I have a good understanding of practical anatomy.I am well coordinated.I love to move.

To make headway in developing your mental skills, it will be necessary to undertakeimprovements in your physical being. On the next page you will find some exercises to getyou started on improving body awareness and condition.

Corporalita Exercises

Make a sketch of your own body: On the path of self-development, people often contemplatethe classic question "Who am I?" You can make significant progress by asking another basicquestion: "Where am I?" Body image and body awareness play a tremendous role in oursense of who we are.

Make a sketch of your whole body on a sheet of paper or in the space below. Don't worryabout creating an artistic drawing – just do a simple five-minute sketch; even a modified stickfigure would be OK.

After you've sketched your whole body, color in red the places where you feel the mosttension and stress. Then with a black marker, delineate the points in your body where yourenergy seems blocked, the parts where you feel the least. Next use a green color to indicatethe areas of your body that feel most alive, where the energy flows most freely.

Most people have significant areas of red and black. Much of our unnecessary tension andstress is a result of ignorance and misinformation regarding our own natural structure andfunction. Inaccurate "body maps" result in misuse, exacerbating stress, and dullingawareness. If your self-portrait shows areas of tension and stress, find and begin a programof physical exercise aimed at relaxing and freeing up your body.

Here's another simple exercise:

Mirror Observation. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Avoid judging or evaluating yourappearance, just observe your reflection objectively, and record your answers below:

Does your head tend to tilt to one side or the other?________________________________________________________________

Is one shoulder higher than the other?________________________________________________________________

Does your pelvis rock forward or is it held back?________________________________________________________________

Is your weight distributed evenly on your feet or do you depend on one leg more than theother for support?________________________________________________________________

What parts of your body appear to be overly tense?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are your pelvis, torso, and head in a balanced alignment?________________________________________________________________

Review your responses. How does your actual appearance relate to the drawing you madeof your body? Are you surprised by these results?

Cultivate Ambidexterity. Leonardo, a natural left-hander, regularly switched hands whenworking on the Last Supper and other masterpieces.

Begin your investigation of ambidexterity by exploring the power of your nondominant hand.Try the following exercises.

Reverse Crossing. Practice interlocking your fingers and crossing your arms and legs inreverse of your normal pattern. See if you can wink your nondominant eye and roll yourtongue over to both sides.

Use Your Nondominant Hand. Try using your nondominant hand for a day, or part of a day tostart. Turn on the lights, brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, unlock your front door with yourother hand. Record your feelings and observations.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Experiment with Writing. Try signing your name with the other hand here:

First attempt:______________________________________________________Second attempt:___________________________________________________Third attempt:_____________________________________________________Fourth attempt_____________________________________________________Fifth attempt:______________________________________________________

About Michael Gelb

MICHAEL J. GELB is a modern Renaissance man with a lifelong fascination for theessence of creativity, the balance of mind and body, and a passion for awakening thefullness of human potential. After graduating with honors from Clark University with degreesin psychology and philosophy he spent a year in England at The International Academy forContinuous Education studying the esoteric traditions of the world with J.G. Bennett.

While completing a three-year training as a teacher of the Alexander technique—a methodof developing mind-body coordination—Gelb earned a master's degree from GoddardCollege in psycho-physical re-education. His first book, Body Learning: An Introduction tothe Alexander Technique, evolved from his master's thesis and was published in 1981. Thiswas followed by Present Yourself: Captivate Your Audience with Great Presentation Skills.

Gelb's practical exploration of balancing mind and body led to a fascination with the art ofjuggling. Supporting himself through graduate school by working as a professional juggler,Gelb appeared live on stage with both The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. In 1994 he, andco-author Tony Buzan, released Lessons from the Art of Juggling: How to Achieve YourFull Potential in Business, Learning and Life. In 1996, Gelb introduced the concept ofSynvergent thinking in Thinking for a Change: Discovering Your Power to Create,Communicate and Lead. His audio programs, "Mind Mapping" and "Putting Your CreativeGenius to Work" distributed by Nightingale-Conant, are also international bestsellers. Since1978, Michael has been working with organizations around the world to optimize theirhuman potential. His many clients include Amoco, AT&T, DuPont, IBM, LucentTechnologies, Merck, NPR, and Xerox.

A passionate student and teacher of the martial art of Aikido, in which he holds a third-degree black belt, and a lover of the game of chess, Gelb is co-author with Grand MasterRaymond Keene of the recent Walker Kooks release Samurai Chess: Mastering StrategyThrough the Martial Art of the Mind.

Gelb's other passions include Italian language and culture, collecting art and wine, cooking,and the Japanese game of Go.

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