Talent “hits the target others cannot hit; genius hits the target others cannot see”, said Arthur Schopenhauer, the nineteenth century philosopher. Albert Einstein, whose name would in the following century become synonymous with genius, illustrated Schopenhauer’s definition. Other clever physicists derived brilliant solutions to complex problems which had bemused less talented men. But Einstein solved problems that others had not really understood existed.
Is there such a thing as a business genius? It is a moot question this month, because in modern times Apple’s Steve Jobs, who died last week, was probably the individual with the strongest claim to that title. History gave us figures such as Thomas Edison, who exploited the discovery of electricity to create a string of previously unimagined commercial products. And Walt Disney, who not only created unforgettable characters, but saw how to turn children’s entertainment into a corporate activity. Henry Ford defined the modern automobile industry and demonstrated the potential of mass production. Had these men not existed, the business world – and daily life – might have been forever different from the one we know.
Schopenhauer might have recognised genius in these achievements: but not, for example, in the accomplishments of the several individuals who are hailed in their respective countries as the inventors of television. The box in the living room was an inevitable outcome of the applied science of the 1920s, which is why the problem was solved by different people at about the same time. They hit a demanding target, but one that was very much in sight.