Winston Churchill had a lot of leadership aces up his sleeve but the one that I’ve always admired is his insistence on finding and nourishing “corkscrew thinkers” – “people with the ability to break away from the traditional linear way of thinking”. During WW2, Churchill believed that neither side would win the war without these individuals because everyone was thinking in the same way: the enemy’s next move would always be predictable. His focus on “corkscrew thinkers” led to the creation of some interesting teams who gave him vital advantage like the cracking of the enigma code. War was the stimuli then, but I guess the idea is relevant just as much in business today – what we need are individuals who are able to look at problems in the world and see innovative solutions, individuals who are tangential and yet context-aligned, individuals who are transformation catalysts; for these individuals are the ones who change the game!

I hope you count yourself as one. Do you?