01 Oct E22: Coffee with Malcolm Gladwell

This morning I had coffee with Malcolm Gladwell.

Well almost!

Just me, my cup of java and 1449 other people, listening in on an intimate conversation between my favourite author and Heather Reisman of Indigo, in the renowned UofT Convocation Hall. Hosted by the UofT Rotman School of Business @gladwell was discussing his latest book #TalkingToStrangers as part of their Big Ideas Speaker Series.

Malcolm Gladwell is my idol

Few things will compel me to wake at the break of dawn to find myself on the early train into Toronto.
But Malcolm is a man who speaks my language.
The language of outliers and tipping points. He is driven by data, patterns, anomalies, and interrupts.
And he loves telling stories.

Funnily enough, on my Sally Hogshead Fascinate personality test, I am the archetype Royal Guard (or as I like to refer to myself ‘Scout’) – someone who sits behind the scenes, scanning for possible problems or threats – and in some reports, Malcolm also falls into this category.

I am sure that in the near future I will have much to share as I fold myself into a comfy chair and devour this book.

Talking to Strangers

But for now, I want to riff on his title. “Talking to Strangers”. Because that is what a podcast is. An invitation to share an intimate conversation with strangers, either directly or by eavesdropping on an interview.

It is a moment of trust on both sides – from the host and from the listener.

What fascinates me is the difference in posture and interpretation.

I am often struck by the fact that what we take away from a conversation depends on what we are listening for – or rather, the frame of mind, our ‘presence’ at the moment.
That is why I do not presume to offer lessons in my podcasts.
I simply let the story of my guests unfold.
Some of us will hear the same phrase and need this wisdom to see their way forward in their immediate future. Others will park the information, and use it when necessary – maybe 5 years from now.
Two people can look at the same situation and describe it differently.

My five-year future

As he signs it
“Malcolm Gladwell. #1 New York Times bestselling author of OUTLIERS and host of the podcast REVISIONIST HISTORY”
I see what I want for my 5-year future – to be able to have that tagline on a book that I write
‘host of the podcast Tilt the Future’!

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