Think Bigger: An Evening with Dr. Sheena Iyengar
Where Do Big Ideas Come From?
The classic story of the Statue of Liberty focuses on the persistence, passion, teamwork, and technological ingenuity it took to create her. But where did the idea for Lady Liberty come from? In a recent Distinguished Speaker Series talk, Dr. Sheena Iyengar, the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and a renowned expert on choice, explored the creative process behind the iconic statue—a symbol that has resonated with her since age three when she arrived from India with her parents.
Dr. Iyengar deconstructed Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s creative process, highlighting the component parts that had influenced him over his lifetime: Egyptian statues, the French painting Le Vérité, the Roman goddess Libertas depicted in France’s Great Seal, and even his own mother all went into the enduring symbol of freedom. Dr. Iyengar used Lady Liberty to illustrate the principles from her award-winning book, Think Bigger. She introduced her concept of “strategic copying,” showing how some of history’s greatest innovators, from Pablo Picasso to Henry Ford, borrowed, adapted, and combined ideas to spark groundbreaking innovations.
“We all know the imperative to think out of the box,” Dr. Iyengar said. “But no one tells you how.” Her answer, “Literally go into other boxes.” We unlock new possibilities by pulling apart and recombining existing ideas. Think Bigger itself has evolved into a testament to its principles. In just over a year, the book has expanded into a real-time choice-map generator that leverages and verifies large language model AI tools to give users choices that can help them solve problems and navigate complex decisions.
Dr. Iyengar emphasized the profound impact of choice in shaping her life. “As a blind Indian American, I had to choose what I would do,” she said. “The best choice I could have made was to study choice.” Nearly 100 I-House residents, alumni, trustees and guests attended the talk on Dec 4. Sharda Cherwoo, a longtime International House Trustee, moderated the event and led a lively Q&A with the audience.