Those encountering Albert Einstein in his formative years did not see his disruptive behavior[1] as brilliance. By following key principles, however, his genius appeared over time.
Here are five practices that helped move Einstein from the realm of obscurity to having his very name synonymous with the word “genius.” They can also produce brilliance in your own career.
5 Einstein real estate lessons
Use these real estate lessons — inspired by Einstein and other geniuses — to drive your own thinking and unlock your business genius.
1. Always be curious
Einstein repeatedly stated, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” He made a lifelong habit of learning[2] in every field that intersected with his life. Given a compass as a youth, he became inquisitive about the hidden forces acting upon the needle. The compass fueled his curiosity, and he utilized that mindset to expand his perceptions of everything.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits[3], explains, “Curiosity is the beginning of knowledge. Action is the beginning of change. People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.”
Curiosity opens the door to “what if” and can move you out of mediocrity and into a remarkable future.
Many listing agents provide virtually identical service. Instead of wondering how you might compete with the others, Clear suggests, “When you can’t win by being better, you can win by being different.” Transformation flows from curiosity. [4]
3. Use your imagination
In a Saturday Evening Post interview, Einstein stated, “Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited, whereas imagination encircles the entire world.” When faced with complex problems, he engaged in pursuits such as sailing, giving his mind the time it needed to ruminate on the issue at hand.
Keith Cunningham, in The Road Less Stupid[5], states, “There is no such thing as a natural business owner. Successful business owners and entrepreneurs are not born with an innate set of skills that produce business excellence and success. Great business owners work hard, practice, study, test, think, correct, and practice some more.”
Cunningham explains, “Over the last twenty-five years or so, I have practiced ‘Thinking Time,’ which is a thirty- to forty-five-minute session of uninterrupted concentration. I start by preparing a high-value question before the actual session begins.”
He emphasizes, “One of the biggest reasons businesses fail is they never have a second idea. If you stop innovating, you die.”
Warren Buffett reiterates, “I insist on a lot of time being spent thinking, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.”
You can do the same: Instead of powering through life, take time to nurture your imagination[6]. Write down key thoughts, and then spend time imagining how they might be the fuel to propel your business upward.
3. Seek value not success
The world is full of ladder climbers looking for success. In contrast, Einstein, in Life Magazine, emphasized, “Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.”
A favorite maxim is, “Come from a place of contribution.” Find ways to serve rather than take from those around you. Focus on meeting the needs of your clients rather than seeing them as a revenue stream.
A simple question: “Do you want to die rich and forgotten or be remembered as someone who made the world a better place by serving?” Mother Teresa comes to mind. No one remembers Einstein’s net worth when he died, but everyone remembers his contributions.
You may become the top producer in your state or build the largest real estate team on the planet and achieve all your financial dreams, but after you retire, you will be forgotten as the next person climbs the ladder after you. Success is fleeting, and after you have died, that success will not matter one iota.
How you transformed people’s lives … will.
4. Let intuition lead the way
In the Saturday Evening Post, Einstein stated, “I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.” He believed a hunch or idea was correct, even when he had no way of proving it. His theory of relativity began with the faith that his idea was correct; he then worked to develop the proof.
Our mind processes data at a subconscious level and often interjects thoughts that, while they may seem random, are your mind communicating something important. Whether a concept, strategy or action to take, your brain is bringing important information to the fore. Pay attention.
I have lost count of the times I have ignored thoughts, only to regret it later. An example is ignoring a fleeting thought to call someone, only to later discover they listed their home with someone else.
5. Question the status quo
Galileo was tried by the Inquisition and arrested for stating that the sun was the center of the solar system. Ignaz Semmelweis, a 19th-century physician, surmised that hand washing with an antiseptic solution was critical when working with patients, particularly in preventing childbed fever. Even though the medical community initially rejected his findings, deaths were dramatically reduced.
Einstein’s most radical ideas flowed from questioning long-held beliefs. He probed the nature of space, time and light through thought experiments. He questioned everything to foster curiosity and avoid intellectual stagnation.
Use these Einstein real estate lessons to drive your own thinking. What other ideas are out there that might transform our service to our clients? It goes without saying that any idea or concept that appears to challenge the industry’s status quo[7] will not initially be welcomed with open arms, but that which begins with curiosity can tap into the genius within. Simply begin.
References
- ^ disruptive behavior (www.inman.com)
- ^ lifelong habit of learning (www.inman.com)
- ^ Atomic Habits (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Instead of wondering how you might compete with the others (www.inman.com)
- ^ The Road Less Stupid (www.amazon.com)
- ^ imagination (www.inman.com)
- ^ challenge the industry’s status quo (www.inman.com)