How to Think Like Da Vinci

The 4 steps to greatness

Leonardo da Vinci spoke little Latin, had no formal credentials, and was born out of wedlock. Yet despite the social stigma suffered because of these realities, few names in history carry the weight of his own.

Leonardo went on to become the Renaissance man par excellence, designing everything from bridges to war machines, dissecting human cadavers to mapping the nervous system, and painting some of the most enduring works of art ever produced. His thousands of pages of notes are filled with everything from mechanical sketches to fragmented questions on the movement of water and the structure of the cosmos.

Yet beneath all of Leonardo’s seemingly disjointed accomplishments lies a distinct and coherent approach to learning and thought — a set of habits that shaped the way he engaged with the world. His prolific creative output wasn’t simply the result of natural genius, but of a dynamic and unorthodox approach to the life of the mind.

So what was Leonardo’s secret? And more importantly, how can you cultivate his same habits to create something great of your own?

Here are four of the main factors behind the Renaissance master’s genius — and how you too can think like Leonardo…