Ten years ago, I wrote to Microsoft and asked for an interview with Bill Gates. They sent me a rejection letter that said, “Bill really appreciates your interest in his perspectives on what it takes to succeed, but he regretfully must decline.” It was such a nice letter, I wasn’t even discouraged. I thought, “I’ll just keep doing my research and maybe some day I’ll get to talk to Bill.”

Well, that day was today. At the TED conference, I walked around a corner and stumbled into Bill Gates. I went up to him and introduced myself, we chatted for a while, and I told him about our 8 To Be Great Educational Program for colleges.

Then I said, “Would you like a copy of my book, 8 To Be Great?” But, as the words came out, I noticed he had no briefcase or bag to carry a book. So, what did I do? I stupidly tried to talk one of the world’s most influential people out of taking my book!  I said, “Well, maybe it’s too hard for you to carry.” Bill said, “How big is it?” I said, “It’s small,” and dug into my backpack for a book. He took it, looked at it, and said, “Thank you! I’ll read it.” And he was very sincere.

A few hours later, a man came up to me and said, “I just saw Bill Gates, and he was carrying your book under his arm.” Needless to say, it made my day. But not because it’s “my” book. Because it might help get the content out to more young people who are struggling, and give them a boost in life.

Greetings from the famous TED conference in California. http://www.ted.com/
Here I am with John Hodgman, star of the Apple Ads. I thought this photo was appropriate since I use a Mac, but in our office, other people use PCs, and they co-exist quite nicely. Whatever works for you! Must run and talk to some of the great people here…

There’s a myth that great ideas spring from creative geniuses. In reality, great ideas happen when people do simple things, like keep their ears open and listen. There are many examples in my books, and here’s another one that’s appropriate, since today is Super Bowl Sunday. How did the Super Bowl get its name? Because Lamar Hunt, one of the founders of the American Football League, simply listened to his son.

The search was on for a name for the big game, and one day Lamar was watching his kids play with an incredibly bouncy ball. He said to his son, “What’s that?” His son replied, “It’s a Super Ball, Dad,” but it sounded like he said, “Super Bowl.” Lamar suggested the name at an owners’ meeting, almost as a joke, and the rest is history. So, the next time you’re stuck for ideas, listen to your kids. Just don’t expect them to listen to you.

(Source: Jian Ghomeshi interview with Allen St. John (no relation to me), author of The Billion Dollar Game, CBC Radio “Q,” Jan. 30, 2009)