How To Think Like History’s Greatest Genius - Michael Gelb

Michael Gelb is an executive coach, speaker, and an author. Given that Leonardo da Vinci is one of history’s greatest minds, presumably we can learn a lot from the life, lessons and background of him. Michael is one of the world's leading writers on the man and today we get to discover his 7 most important rules for thinking like Leonardo. Expect to learn Leonardo da Vinci’s unique way of assessing problems, what Leonardo's demeanour was like as a person, if Leonardo was naturally gifted, what a typical day in the life of Leonardo was and his favourite type of working environment, the unreasonable standards that Leonardo held himself to, the 7 principles that Leonardo lived by and much more… - 00:00 Why Would We Want to Think Like Da Vinci? 06:45 Differences Between Michelangelo & Da Vinci 09:39 The Dark Side of Da Vinci 12:02 Things We Don’t Know About Da Vinci 15:57 A Normal Day for Da Vinci 23:10 Developing Genuine Curiosity 29:48 Turning Cynics to Enthusiasts 42:42 Our Links to Ancient Wisdom 50:13 Sharpen Your Senses 55:54 Embrace the Unknown 1:02:06 Integrating Logic & Imagination 1:11:00 Everything Connects to Everything Else 1:14:28 Where to Find Michael - Get discounted access to Michael Gelb's How to Think Like da Vinci Course Here: https://course.geniusmastery.com/modern-wisdom Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostMichael Gelbguest

Dec 12, 20241h 15mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Unlocking Leonardo: Seven Timeless Principles For Modern Creative Genius

Michael Gelb explains how Leonardo da Vinci’s life, work, and notebooks reveal a practical framework for thinking more creatively and living more fully. Through stories about Leonardo’s patrons, art, science, and daily habits, Gelb extracts seven principles—like curiosity, experimentation, sensory refinement, and systems thinking—that anyone can train. He contrasts Leonardo’s love‑driven genius with Michelangelo’s guilt‑driven intensity, emphasizing the role of purpose, joy, and ambiguity tolerance in great work. The conversation closes by connecting these Renaissance ideas to modern challenges: distraction, cynicism, overwork, and the desire to be paid for the quality of our thinking.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Cultivate relentless, childlike curiosity (Curiosità).

Leonardo’s genius started with an obsessive desire to ask better questions; exercises like writing 100 questions in one sitting or using “who, what, why, where, when, how” can break habitual thinking and surface deeper insights.

Test ideas through experience instead of accepting authority (Dimostrazione).

Leonardo insisted on demonstrating truth for himself, which means cultivating healthy skepticism—challenging assumptions, running small experiments, and turning cynicism into productive, evidence‑based doubt.

Sharpen and savor your senses to fuel creativity (Sensazione).

He trained his senses like an athlete, using focused walks, comparative tastings (wine, chocolate, art, music), and attention to light, color, and sound to make perception richer and thinking more nuanced.

Learn to live with ambiguity and uncertainty (Sfumato).

Leonardo’s hazy painting technique mirrors his psychological skill: keeping emotional intelligence, higher principles, and humor intact amid ambiguity instead of demanding instant clarity or control.

Integrate logic with imagination (Arte Scienza).

Rather than separating art and science, Leonardo used both to explore truth; tools like hand‑drawn mind maps deliberately combine analytical structure with images and color to unlock more holistic thinking.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Most people are never really made aware of the phenomenal unlimited potential with which we are all born.

— Michael Gelb

He had to do what he had to do in order to continue to do what he really wanted to do, which was to understand the mind of God.

— Michael Gelb

Men of genius sometimes work best when they work least.

— Leonardo da Vinci, quoted by Michael Gelb

Our birthright is curiosity… you can have a personal renaissance by empowering the questioning process.

— Michael Gelb

Everything connects to everything else.

— Leonardo da Vinci, quoted by Michael Gelb

Leonardo da Vinci’s personality, motivation, and historical contextThe contrast between Leonardo and Michelangelo’s psychological drivesLeonardo’s overlooked achievements and what survives in his notebooksThe seven principles of thinking like Leonardo da VinciCuriosity, questioning, and practical exercises to deepen thinkingSensory awareness, savoring, and integrating art with scienceSystems thinking, purpose, and intentional living in modern life

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