I recently took part in a SIFE competition in Toronto. SIFE stands for Student In Free Enterprise. In short, SIFE teams, like the one at my college, St. Lawrence, aim to create programs that will improve the quality of life and standard of living for both local and global communities. At the opening ceremony, we had the honor of hearing from John Kelleher a man whose biography and list of accomplishments carried on nearly as long as his speech.
He decided to bump up the suspense and attention level by saving the X Factor for last. He went through a list of incredible Canadian entrepreneurs, their stories and how they accomplished what they did. Men like Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Graham Bell and Tim Eaton. If you don't know their stories, check them out. But be careful, watching something other than American late-night comedy might actually inspire you.
The one thing these men all had in common was that they obsessed over a problem, and were determined to develop a solution. Which brings us to the X Factor; The ability to recognize and to concentrate on large, important, unaddressed problems.
Whether it's a tacky solution to pop can spills (LOL Bottle Tops), or a revolutionary new idea that will change the world (you know, like, important stuff), there are needs that must be addressed and solutions that can land you a spot on a motivational speaker's power point presentation. Oh, and credit for making the world a better place. Both are pretty cool... like sandals worn WITHOUT socks.