Christian Busch directs the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU) and teaches purpose-driven leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation at NYU and LSE. He is the author of the bestselling book, The Serendipity Mindset and is also the co-founder of two thriving communities - Sandbox, a global community of young innovators, as well as of Leaders on Purpose, an organisation convening leading CEOs.

In The Serendipity Mindset, Christian defines serendipity as unexpected good luck resulting from unplanned moments in which proactive decisions lead to positive outcomes. I actually see this podcast as a serendipity vehicle that allows me to connect to and learn from great minds across fields, leading to collaborations and friendships I never could have planned or predicted.

In this episode we discuss:
- How to integrate serendipity into your career and life and cultivate a mindset that opens you up to opportunities
- Christian's current approach to planning and how that changes for different projects
- How to refresh a community with randomness and serendipity whilst maintaining the core values

This was a great conversation that will give you the mindset and skillset to use the unpredictability of life to your advantage and create your own luck.

Show Notes

• Introducing Christian Busch [00:36]
• Why was school challenging for Christian when he was younger? What changed his perspective and made him re-enter academia later in life? [03:06]
• How did a near-death experience change Christian? How does his relationship with death affect the way he lives his life? [05:33]
• Who are Christian’s biggest influences and how did their lessons reframe his thinking? [07:15]
• How does Christian define serendipity? [10:54]
• Can agreeableness as a trait lead to more serendipity? What is the role of collaboration in the greatest discoveries of mankind? [12:20]
• How do you limit serendipity when working on a focused task like writing a book without removing it from your life? [15:04]
• Why does serendipity require an incubation phase? [18:48]
• How building meaningful relationships and defining your values can pave the way for better professional experiences and transactions [19:56]
• Why does aiming for perfection limit the chances of serendipity? How can being more open to a change of plans and unexpected turns help us lead a more positive life? [22:38]
• What are Christian’s career goals given the current success of his book The Serendipity Mindset? Why is it important to have a ‘North Star’ for career goals? [25:22]
• How has Christian’s vision of Sandbox changed over time and what is the key to building an engaged and trusting community? [29:02]
• What are the merits of older organisation leaders to social enterprises and the future of their industries? [33:55]
• How can a serendipity journal help you bring more serendipity into your life without losing focus? [37:08]
• What are two reflective questions we can ask ourselves when pursuing specific goals? [38:06]
• Why are behavioural shifts important in having serendipitous moments? [40:38]
• What does Christian love about the book The Little Prince and what has he taken away from it? [43:22]
• Closing remarks [45:07]

Resources

Follow Christian online

Website | Twitter

• The Serendipity Mindset by Christian Busch
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

‍