Strands of Genius: How to Be Influenced, What Does "Born in the U.S.A." Really Mean?, On Strategy Showcase

Guest curated by Fergus O'Carroll

Aug 25, 2022

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, FERGUS O’CARROLL ::

LOCATION:

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: On Strategy Showcase

Rewarding questions.

I love listening to artists explain their work: a painting, a sculpture, a lyric. The context they provide transforms how I see it - aspects I never noticed, meanings I never fully understood, stories that weave it all together. It becomes a more brilliant version in my mind. Why? Because without knowing the artist’s original intent, we can’t fully appreciate their work.

So much is lost to the mind that refuses to ask questions. Not only do we lose meaning and understanding, but we lose the fuller intended experience. It sits undiscovered. Without it, we misinterpret, we assume, we lose the opportunity to grow. Most of us don’t have access to the artist, or to the originator. We don’t get to ask the questions. For years I practiced my craft in a vacuum. All the magic created by others was unknown to me, inaccessible to me. And I wasn’t alone. Most of us have little knowledge of what’s happening down the hallway, let alone across the world in our field of work. Some may be aware of the outputs, but few the full intentions that fueled and informed them. I’ve spent the last three years interviewing some of the brightest practitioners in the field of strategy about the work they’ve created. Every interview surfaces a moment that excites me, inspires me and changes me. It’s the same excitement I get from hearing the artist’s voice, because it’s experiencing others that determines who we ourselves will become. As David Brooks has written “As we grow, we multiply the number of people from whom we borrow in order to create ourselves.” This is not about forsaking our own originality, but about discovering it. It’s what Ian Leslie describes as “absorbing influences without surrendering to them: to being open to others and stubbornly individual.” When we strive to more fully understand people and meaning, we find ourselves.

Editor’s Note (Faris): I was delighted to chat to Fergus on his excellent podcast and have learned a great deal from listening to some of the many others he has done - it’s an invaluable resource to hear how strategy really works inside agencies - and he is a very charming interlocutor indeed.

:: THE LINKS ::

HOW TO BE INFLUENCED

Here Ian Leslie tells us that "being influenced by others is inevitable and essential”. But it’s also true that when we over-conform to influences, we surrender individuality. We get infected by harmful behaviors: smoking, anorexia, even suicide are all subject to social influence. We swallow conspiracy theories and false beliefs. Each of us, then, has to try and strike a balance. Be impervious to social influence and you get closed off from the best that your fellow humans have to offer. Be defenseless against it and you become easily manipulable, boring, and unhappy." (The Ruffian)

WHAT DOES BORN IN THE U.S.A. REALLY MEAN?

I wonder if many of you experience music as I do? I hum and sing along to the melody, but meaning is something I’m generally oblivious to. And meaning matters. As an example, this article points explains the true meaning behind Springsteen’s "Born in the U.S.A." While at face value it appears to be a rousing endorsement of American patriotism, that’s far from what was intended. (wbur)

ON STRATEGY SHOWCASE

Here are over 100 of my interviews with some of the best marketers and strategists in the world. We talk about what shaped the strategies that led to amazing campaigns. They share the unlocks that shaped their thinking and the creative product that resulted from it. On Strategy Showcase was created to serve those curious enough to continually learn and those generous enough to share. (On Strategy Showcase)

Looking for more from Fergus O’Carroll? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from him in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Tennis

:: City :: Amalfi, Italy

:: Book :: The Fountainhead

:: Podcast :: On Strategy Showcase

:: Album :: Dark Side of the Moon

Fergus O’Carroll
fergus@onstrategyshowcase.com

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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

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