‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.’
Thomas Edison (1847 – 1931)
Is this still the case?
Is it time to reimagine genius?
Thomas Edison was a prolific American inventor and businessman.
He is credited with inventing the phonograph, motion picture camera and some early work on the electric light bulb.
Perhaps his greatest invention however was the development of the world’s first research laboratory.
He was a major figure in the birth of the modern industrial era.
It was not enough to have a good idea he believed, but it must be developed with hard work, dedication, optimism and sheer will power.
His is a story of rags to riches success.
Genius for him was primarily about effort.
But what if, genius today was not just about human sweat and tears?
Is it time to reinvent the idea of genius?
Genius according to the Collins Dictionary is:
‘A very great ability or skill in a particular subject or activity.’
My proposition is that Genius now is now more about Human Thinking amplified by the processing capability of AI.
Perspiration is important but most of the thinking work in the future will be done by Generative Ai such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok for example.
And much of the doing work in the future might be done by robots.
You want a book summarised? No problem, ChatGPT can do this in seconds!
Want to know the full history of Thomas Edison for example, just enter this request into Google Search for example and there are countless articles and references on his life.
Information and knowledge are now basically a free resource that can be obtained with a few keystrokes.
To be sure, to succeed you still need to work hard, raise and manage budgets, prioritise your time and collaborate with others etc.
But what if, you could access your own genius – on demand?
What if you could develop ‘a very great ability or skill in a particular subject or activity.’
This would mean we need to reimagine what we mean by genius.
Having a great ability or skill in a particular subject or activity is a useful starting point—but it’s also a little narrow.
It suggests that genius is something you either have or don’t have, often tied to a specific talent or IQ score for example.
But in today’s world, that definition doesn’t go far enough.
Genius is your ability to think, feel, and act in new and powerful ways.
It’s not fixed.
It’s not rare.
And it’s not reserved for prodigies, professors, or poets.
Your genius can show up:
- In how you solve a problem
- In the way you listen, connect, or inspire someone
- In the ideas you generate or the insights you unlock
Genius isn’t what you’re born with.
It’s what you switch on.
And with the right method, you can do it—anywhere, anytime, with anyone.
So let’s think about genius as an emergent quality that comes from the interaction of the different networks in your brain, amplified by Generative AI.
Genius (for me) can start to be applied to everyday activities.
Coincidently my wife just visited a new physiotherapist about her sore back and came through the door with a big smile and exclaimed, she is a genius,
I am now pain free.
My dad’s particular genius was with animals and in particular dogs. He could calm even the most savage dogs in minutes.
My mum’s genius by comparison was to be able to always put on a healthy, hearty meal with what was in the fridge at the time and on a limited budget.
Perhaps we should also start thinking about genius as those moments when we can see the world differently.
For example.
I can still remember the day of my eldest daughter’s 12th Birthday Party.
She wanted a horse-riding party. Well of course!
I ran round organised the venue, food drinks and picked up a flock of 12 years olds for the big event.
Exhausted I sat down and waved goodbye to the first rider as I looked forward to a well-earned cup of tea.
Dad, are you coming?
Of course, I said (what choice did I have?). The organisers duly trotted out what I thought was the biggest horse in the stables. Both the horse and I spied one another and decided that neither of us were comfortable and so I swallowed some and embarrassment and said that I could not go.
And yet.
The more I looked at the horse the more I decided that really the horse was just a big dog.
I love dogs.
Instant calm for both me and my rather large friend.
Well to my surprise I trotted off and quite enjoyed myself with body and pride intact.
The moral of the story?
The horse had not changed.
And yet my thinking had.
I saw this potentially awkward situation in a new way.
I am not saying I am a genius, but I did have a genius moment.
What if we also started to think about a Genius Group or Team?
Not a team of Geniuses but one that can unlock the amazing potential of all team members boosted by AI.
And what if we started to think that both you and I had genius within us.
It might be available to anyone, anytime and accessed anywhere.
It just needs to be switched on!
Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Imagine if we all could set our genius free.