The Greenwood fire took its name from the nearby lake where lightning struck on Aug. 15, causing a wildfire that burned for weeks. Fueled by drought and wind, its persistence dominated headlines for much of late summer and early fall in Minnesota. When the last flames were finally put out, the northern Minnesota fire had consumed nearly 27,000 acres, countless firefighting resources, and at its worst, the lives that some had built around nearby McDougal Lake. Va5t areas of forest were left burned-out, with the black and bare remains of what were once massive pines.

But. despite the destruction left behind. Mother Nature is set to a comeback. When organic matter is burned from the forest floor, seeds dropped by plants and trees begin to take hold, with the sprouting species emerging first. The trees above have died, which sends a chemical signal to the root system that is actually more expansive than just under that tree, and that chemical response encourages those root systems to re-grow. Ten years ago, a fire ripped through 93,000 acres of Minnesota forest in and around the BWCA. Today, (hat burnt area's rebirth is well underway.

"Here in the Pagami Creek wildfire scar, we have Jack Pine, Red Pine, Black Spruce, Aspen and paper birch those are our main species, those are the ones that are growing quickly. It's 10 years on, and these trees are 10 to 15 feet tall in many areas," said Kyle Stover from the U.S. Forest Service.

A wildfire kills most things in its path, but despite the flames and intense temperatures, rarely is everything reduced to ashes - and that plays a key role in a forest's regeneration. Just one year after the fire, the survivors dominate the forest, and grasses replace the burnt ground. Wildflowers are abundant, bushes and small trees have started to grow, and Jack Pine returned. So. it's an amazing ecological system of creating new forest life when it appears that all is lost, one that has evolved throughout the ages, where fire has always played a vital role.

When I started Social-Engineer, I just left a company that was amazing. It was like a family. The pain of leaving was real for me and like all family separation, it wasn't 100% smooth. I was heartbroken to leave but wanted to take every lesson I learned to my new company. I was determined to also take all the good memories with me. Yes, there were mistakes from both sides of the fence but instead of focusing on those, I went away remembering all the great times, life lessons and growth I had gifted to me. 

I figured I would grow my company by being a nice man and working hard, and never demanding more from my people than I was willing to give, believing this approach would ean respect and effort in return. I would say things to myself like, "Well, I did this, so they should do that. "Or"I am this way, so they should be that way. "

And to be honest, it felt real. It felt like it was an honest evaluation. 

But. . . But. . . But. . . 

I started to have people problems. I am a very strong, direct communicator and although in many ways that is a strength, it can be a weakness in other ways. I often hurt people's feelings. Even though I was very self-aware of this, I still messed up. Now this is odd to admit out loud for a company that basically focuses on helping dozens of companies make huge changes. 

I went to see a psychologist. Natasha actively listened to all I said and then every now and then presented a thought as a question or a mild statement. She wanted to challenge me to change, challenge me to expand my thoughts. I was in my session with Natasha and I was saying things like this:

"I gave this person tens of thousands of dollars in a raise in one year, they should be more appreciative. "

"I have a great salary, benefits and support package, this person should have been more thankful."

Natasha stopped me and said, "Well, you just SHOULD all over yourself, didn't you? Did you pay for devotion? Did you pay for honor? Did you pay for appreciation?"

The sad answer was NO. 

"You want to see the change that you so desire- then be the change, " Natasha said. She then mentioned Bruce Lee, who said "Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. . . . Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. "

I know what I should do. Will you join me?

When we encounter a troublesome problem,we often gather a group to brainstorm. However,substantial evidence has shown that when we generate ideas together,we fail to maximize collective intelligence.

To unearth the hidden potential in teams,we're better off shifting to a process called "brainwriting".You start by asking group members to write down what is going on in their brains separately.Next,you pool them and share them among the group without telling the authors.Then,each member evaluates them on his or her own,only after which do the team members come together to select and improve the most promising options.By developing and assessing ideas individually before choosing and expanding on them,the team can surface and advance possibilities that might not get attention otherwise.

An example of great brainwriting was in 2010 when 33 miners were trapped underground in Chile.Given the urgency of the situation,the rescue team didn't hold brainstorming sessions.Rather,they established a global brainwriting system to generate individual ideas.A 24-year-old engineer came up with a tiny plastic telephone.This specialized tool ended up becoming the only means of communicating with the miners,making it possible to save them.

Research by organizational behavior scholar Anita Woolley and her colleagues helps to explain why this method works.They find that the key to collective intelligence is balanced participation.In brainstorming meetings,it's too easy for participation to become one-sided in favor of the loudest voices.The brainwriting process ensures that all ideas are brought to the table and all voices are brought into conversation.The goal isn't to be the smartest person in the room.It's to make the room smarter.

Collective intelligence begins with individual creativity,but it doesn't end there. Individuals produce a greater volume and variety of novel ideas when they work alone. That means they not only come up with more brilliant ideas than groups but also more terrible ideas.Therefore,it takes collective judgment to find the signal in the noise and bring out the best ideas.