Brilliant Simplicity

Forest Gump was thought by most to be a man of limited intelligence. When his drill sergeant in basic training declares him a genius, it is a moment of irony in the film. For the sergeant, it was obvious that he was a man of superior military intelligence because he was able to adapt to a system and follow simple instructions.

Why did you do that so well and so quickly?

His response was, “Because you told me to…”

Sometimes we call it "dumb simple."

To over complicate things is not brilliance. To simplify the complex is.

Chance the gardener in "Being There" with Peter Sellers becomes Chauncy Gardner by saying little and looking interested.  He is sought out for advice and even considered for high office even though he cannot write his own name.

Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue .”

It is not that we need to be uninformed, naive, simple minded, and dull of thought, but we must humble ourselves to realize that our ingenuity may not be required for the some of our challenging tasks as much as our perseverance, faith, hard work, and ability to take a system and not make it something that only we can do because we are so infatuated with our own creativity.

In business, marketing, ministry, community benefit organizations, and any form of organizational development, real brilliance is in duplication. We rely on our skills at transferring skills in such a way as to enable the person to whom we are transferring them to transfer them to others.

If you can't duplicate it, you must service it forever - yourself.

We are in the business of building and releasing people who will build and release people. There is a place for your creativity and unique brilliance, but there is also a place for utter simplicity that can be passed on through generations of down-line and bring hope to the Forest Gumps of the world ... who I think truly was brilliant.