Cultivating Great Ideas

In the 2014 movie “The Martian,” Matt Damon plays Dr. Mark Watney, a botanist and a mechanical engineer who is stranded on Mars in the year 2034. With no communication with earth, his only chance of rescue doesn’t occur until four years later. 

Being resourceful, Watney plants a potato garden to give him the carbs he needs to stay alive. Today and in the future, the potato is a resourceful vegetable. During the 16^th century that wasn’t the case. During the 16th century, however, peasants in Spain would initially only resort to eating the potato as a way of staving off famine.

Of the four blockbuster crops – wheat, potatoes, maize and rice – it would be wheat (sometimes referred to as ‘corn’ in the English-speaking world) that would be the initial dietary driving force behind European growth – until the Prussian leader, Fredrick The Great declared on March 24, 1756, the potato order. 

“You are to make the benefit of planting this crop clear to the lords and subjects, and advise them to undertake the planting of potatoes this early year as a very nutritious food… Wherever there is an empty space, the potato should be cultivated, since this fruit is not only very useful to use, but also so productive that the effort put into it is very well rewarded.”

Not everyone listened. The potato was an ugly vegetable and not many understood how to use them often saying: “The things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?” 

With his order not working, Fredrick decided to change his approach. He instructed the gardeners of his castle to set up a huge potato farm, surrounded by armed guards to demonstrate their value to the public. Fredrick believed anything worth protecting is worth stealing, so people then began to steal potatoes as the guards were instructed to look away—allowing the potato to gain popularity throughout Europe. 

Fredrick’s strategy probably began with someone asking a dumb question. You can imagine, a member of Fredrick’s inner circle asking: What would happen if we grew a potato farm, and placed security all over, showing the people how valuable the potato was to our army and ending famine? Probably, many laughed out loud, calling this the dumbest thing they ever heard. Yet, it increased the perceived value of the potato, making it a hot commodity. One little shift in perspective was all the problem required. 

As leaders, we need to understand the value of shifting the perspective, creating a different viewpoint, and promoting the idea there are no bad ideas.

As Rory Sutherland, the British advertising specialist and best-selling author says: The opposite of a good idea, is another good idea.” 

And the only way to get great ideas is to ask dumb questions.