Groupthink and the Death of Creativity

“I am a horse for a single harness, not cut out for tandem or teamwork.  …for well I know that in order to attain any definite goal, it is imperative that one person do the thinking and the commanding.”

–     Albert Einstein, quoted at the beginning of chapter 3 of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain

“One boy’s a boy.  Two boys is half a boy.  Three boys is no boy at all.”

–     Loren F. Stark, my maternal grandfather

Look, I loved the Wonder Pets, and I’m a big fan of teamwork.  As long as we don’t lose sight of the fact that difference makers know their role and execute it, relentlessly.  A team, after all, implies a group of performers responsible for different parts of the unit’s health.

Cain’s book is interesting, especially for this life-long extrovert who’s been seeking more of his inner introvert of late.

She describes, in this chapter, the process by which Steve Wozniak created the first Apple computer — by himself, in his space, in the mode that he was wired for.  Yes, the Homebrew Computer Club was a catalyst, and Woz attended every other Wednesday, religiously.  But his work was done in solitude.

As my grandpa pointed out, sometimes you just need to get work done.  And often, at those times, the number of people in the mix negatively impacts the outcome.

If we’re dominated by meetings, by “input” from well-intentioned teammates whose input is (candidly, but not harshly intended) simply not valuable, perhaps some time in a single harness, away from the crowd and the temptation to succumb to groupthink will serve us well.

Maybe, as Wozniak said, and as Cain quoted, “I don’t believe anything really revolutionary has been invented by committee.”

Or, one last quote for the day, from Adisyn Watson Pyles, daughter of my dear friend, Randy Watson:  When she was about two, Adi said, “Daddy, me no think great minds think alike.  Me think great minds think different!”

Hmmmmmmm…