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You are here: Home / 9 Other Resource Types / Conference Blogging / Catalyst 2013 / Q&A With Malcolm Gladwell

Q&A With Malcolm Gladwell

October 6, 2013 by Matt Perman

This is part of the series Catalyst 2013.

After Malcolm Gladwell was done with his message at Catalyst, there were a few minutes left so Andy Stanley did an impromptu Q&A with him on the book. It was incredible.

Here are some of the key points Gladwell made, without the questions (which I didn’t write down for some reason!).

Weakness: The Foundation of Innovation

David’s ability to win the battle begins with his weakness. That forces him to be creative and come up with an innovative strategy. This is the foundation of innovation. Being barred from the normal way of doing things and having to come up with a solution to the challenge.

Your obstacles and moments of weakness are your greatest opportunity.

I found that when I interviewed people for this book, when I asked them to explain their journey, they always started with an obstacle or weakness. No one ever said “when I was eight years old, I was given a million dollars.” You never hear that.

The Refusal to be Passive

Is there anything that demarkates the person who says “we aren’t going to let this stop us” versus the one who says “I give up”? David is remarkable by his refusal to be passive. And the second thing is, he is the only one who correctly understood the strength that his faith gave him. Just like the people in the village.

The Freedom to Fail

There is no question that the David position is a high-risk position. He had a very small target on Goliath, for example. We need to keep this in the back of our mind and be forgiving of those who have failed. Part of what gives people the courage to go up against Goliaths is the knowledge that if it doesn’t work, they can get another shot. This is essential to making this all possible.

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Filed Under: Catalyst 2013

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What’s Best Next exists to help you achieve greater impact with your time and energy — and in a gospel-centered way.

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About Matt Perman

Matt Perman started What’s Best Next in 2008 as a blog on God-centered productivity. It has now become an organization dedicated to helping you do work that matters.

Matt is the author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done and a frequent speaker on leadership and productivity from a gospel-driven perspective. He has led the website teams at Desiring God and Made to Flourish, and is now director of career development at The King’s College NYC. He lives in Manhattan.

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