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)