Think. Differently.

Sometimes winning comes down to turning the accepted model on its head and thinking differently about the “right” answers.

I was asked this week to give an example of how thought diversity is a superpower, and I shared a story.

When I was a teenager, I entered a competition that had a mandatory talent component. My competitors were all accomplished and talented! They had beautiful singing voices for opera, showtunes, and country music. They were elegant dancers with years of ballet, tap, and modern dance. They were accomplished musicians with first chair violin, piano, flute, and guitar.

I was tone deaf with a singing voice that no one would ever want to hear. I was awkwardly uncoordinated and had never learned to play any instruments. In short, I was what most people would consider “untalented” by these standards. I was encouraged to drop out of the competition since I had nothing to contribute for the talent portion.

However, I believe “talent” can be defined in many different ways. So, I decided to tell a story as my talent.

I stood on-stage in front of several thousand people, and I told an embarrassing and humiliating - but very funny - story about a horseback riding competition I had entered and lost. I wore my riding costume from that experience which was still dirty and torn. I was not graceful or elegant, but the whole audience laughed.

And I won.

I learned a few important lessons that day:

⭐ Winning involves calculated risks, and you can’t be afraid to do something that hasn’t been tried before.

⭐ Being different is a superpower.

⭐ There are many forms of talent, and sometimes your magic is just waiting to be discovered.

But above all, I learned that you don’t always have to play by other people’s rules.

⭐ Reframing the challenge is often a key component in beating your competition.