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.