The Invisible Mentor

How do you step beyond the boundaries? Have you ever read an article that is not within your area of specialty simply to get a different perspective? Have you ever looked to other industries to identify processes and methods that you can use to solve challenges and problems?

 Otto Lilienthal, the King of Gliders studied birds in flight to understand human flight. The Wright Brothers: Orville and Wilbur Wright who invented the airplane, studied Lilienthal’s research papers because they believed they could improve his designs, as well as correct the weaknesses in aviation theory. The Wright Brothers had also observed birds in flight to understand how they restored their balance.

 After reading  Practical Experiments for the Development of Human Flight by Otto Lilienthal, I was able to connect the dots when there appeared to be no dots and here is what I discovered which is relevant to all.

• Most inventions are perfected over time (practice makes perfect)
• Success often comes after experimentation: trial and error (we learn from our mistakes)
• Break down goals into bite-size pieces (little successes build on each other to become a huge success)
• Practical experience is equally, or more important that theoretical experience (TEST, TEST, TEST)
• Take calculated risks to mitigate losses (the bigger the risk the greater the reward)
• Technologies of tomorrow will improve inventions of today

For me, testing is very important: test you ideas, test your solution, test everything to see if they work or do what they are supposed to do. After you have read Practical Experiments for the Development of Human Flight, what are your impressions and is there any way you can use the information, directly and indirectly? What aspects of nature can you transport to your work and life to innovate? Whenever you have time, visit Magportal.com and read an article that you wouldn’t normally read, and connect the dots from that article to a project that you are working on. Let’s make an effort to connect the dots when there are no dots.

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