Surrounded by Geniuses »

Dr. Alan S. Gregerman is the founder and president of Venture Works, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that works with clients including Marriott, Lockheed Martin, CitiGroup and Verizon. He is a nationally recognized expert on business strategy and innovation. He is the author of Lessons from the Sandbox and lives in Washington, D.C.

How many times have you arrived at work, exchanged greetings with your colleagues, attended a meeting or two, and then sat down at your desk overcome by the incredible feeling that you were surrounded by geniuses? And how many times have you headed home from work, looked around, and been struck with an awesome sense that you were surrounded by a world of geniuses and brilliant ideas?

If you're like most people, caught up in the stress of work and everyday life, the answer is a resounding "never!" But that's all about to change.

In Surrounded by Geniuses Alan Gregerman presents a revolutionary guide to personal, professional and organizational success based on two powerfully simple ideas:

First, that there is genius hidden in all of us. And second, that we are surrounded by a world filled with genius that can be used to transform any company or organization in order to deliver compelling customer value.

He then shows us in clear and practical ways how to unlock the genius in ourselves and our organizations by discovering and applying insight from the worlds of business, history, popular culture, nature, science and even science fiction. He does this by taking us on ten remarkable journeys to learn essential lessons from a world-class shock trauma unit, eight-year-old "salespeople," rocket scientists, aerobics instructors, cheetahs, Seinfeld re-runs, and more. By the end, you will be astounded to find yourself surrounded by so many brilliant people and ideas.

So grab your curiosity and your most comfortable shoes. It's time for a remarkable trip to your future success!

Preface     viii
Introduction     xi
The Context     1
White People Swimming Slowly     5
The Quest for Compelling Value     13
Genius in Chains     31
Curiosity as Competitive Advantage     37
Ten Journeys     49
The Power of a Promise     55
The Magic of a Conversation     73
The Wonder of a Performance     89
Your Wish Is My Command     101
When Every Second Counts     115
Fastest     133
When Nothing Is Everything     145
It Is Rocket Science     159
No Smile, No Gain     175
Spider Sense     189
Building a New Model of Success     201
Unlocking the Genius Within     205
Bringing Genius to Scale     215
The Essential Work of Leaders     231
Concluding Note     237
Map of the Known World     241
Acknowledgments     243
Index     247
About the Author     251