I write about creativity, leadership, and passion for work.
Why We Need Generalists In The Workplace
Don’t try to conform generalists into specialists. They can be some of the most resourceful people you will meet, and resourcefulness is a critical skill in fluid workplaces.
3 Pieces Of Advice I Would Give My 22-Year-Old Self (That I Still Remind My 41-Year-Old Self Of Every Day)
When you are younger, it’s possible to be successful because you are smarter, more talented, or more of a hustler than your peers. However, as you grow older, you begin to see patterns that you might have overlooked before simply because you didn’t have as much data. Knowledge can be bought, but wisdom is always earned.
Mick Jagger On The Uncertainty Of Success
Don’t believe the lie that success is inevitable. On the inside, where all of the risk is being taken, it often feels like things could fall apart at any moment, and that’s precisely how it should be.
Write A Resignation Letter, But Don’t Deliver It
Frustration and conflict are inevitable on creative teams. Here is one way to deal with it so that you can better frame up the true nature of the conflict.
Is It A Net Gain, Or Net Loss?
Ask yourself if whatever you are doing is a net gain, or a net loss. Over time, if you do more things that are a net gain, you will – by definition – make progress on your goals.
The Key To Aligning Creative Teams
Here are three questions to ask when you are evaluating any piece of work, especially in a team environment. By filtering everything you do through them, you will illuminate the places where excellence is being compromised in the short-run, and stem the encroachment of frustration and apathy.
Are You Too Attached To Your Work?
It’s easy to allow sentiment or nostalgia to stall progress. Whether that means latching onto an idea, or becoming overly attached to the way you think things used to be, it can prevent you from weaving your circumstances together for the better. You can’t hold onto a moment, you can only mark it and move on.
Intentions Are Thieves
It’s easy to get excited about your decision, and get caught up in the self-satisfaction of having finally acted on something that you’ve been meaning to get around to. However, intention is not the same as action. Decisions are not necessarily progress.
The Super Bowl, Creative Risk, and Criticism
Last night, close to 120 million people watched the Super Bowl, which means that the (disastrous) goal-line play call in the final moments of the game was one of the most publicly viewed creative decisions ever made.
Be Creative Under Pressure: My Talk From the 3% Conference
Last month I had the privilege of speaking at the 3% Conference in San Francisco, and sharing some thoughts about how to be creative under pressure and unleash your best work.
There Is No Shame In (Strategic) Quitting
The key isn’t whether or not you quit an effort, it’s why. Are you quitting because you’re tired and just don’t want to make the effort, or are you quitting because you have learned something that has re-framed the problem you’re trying to solve?
Thoughts on Freedom
et_pb_section admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”et_pb_fullwidth_post_title admin_label=”Fullwidth Post Title” title=”on” meta=”off” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”off” featured_placement=”below” parallax_effect=”on” parallax_method=”on” text_orientation=”center” text_color=”light” text_background=”off” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” module_bg_color=”#21211f” title_font=”|||on|” title_font_size=”60px” title_font_size_tablet=”30px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” title_all_caps=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” saved_tabs=”all” global_module=”5344″ /et_pb_fullwidth_post_title/et_pb_sectionet_pb_section admin_label=”section” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#ffffff” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_css_main_element=”align: {middle;}”et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_css_main_2=”position: relative;”et_pb_column type=”2_3″et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font_size=”18″ text_line_height=”1.9em” Today is the US holiday celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent victory and separation from the British Empire. The essence of the holiday is the celebration of freedom in all its forms, though similar to how many other holidays come unmoored from their origins, it has somewhat morphed into “a day off, grilling out, and fireworks”. I think about freedom a lot, because it’s central to expression. The ability to leverage one’s voice in pursuit of an outcome, whether in the political arena, the business world, or elsewhere, is an essential, unalienable right sealed by the founding fathers of the US, and is central to a thriving culture. However, when taken for granted, freedom grows sour. It can begin to feel cheap. It becomes “my right to have my way trumps yours” rather than taking its rightful place as the guide rails for meaningful exchange and mutual respect. Freedom is costly. Not to sound dramatic, but every ounce of freedom you experience cost someone dearly. In the realm of governments and
Three Insights on Creative Leadership from Creativity, Inc.
Over the past week I’ve been listening to Creativity, Inc. by Pixar founder and CEO Ed Catmull on my morning walks. As much as has been written about the company over the past several years, there is something refreshing about getting insights into Pixar’s culture and mindset directly from one of its leaders.
You Are Often The Worst Judge Of Your Own Ideas
The funny thing about deep thoughts and great ideas is that they often don’t appear so deep at the beginning. They emerge as slow hunches, in the language of Steven Johnson, and thus often seem obvious at the point at which they are first recognized to be of some value.
Popular Now
Popular posts:
- Why Great Leaders Aim For Influence, Not Control
- Good Decisions With Bad Outcomes
- The Thing You Do Every Day
- Chaos Theory
- How To Rise To The Moment
- How To Give Effective Feedback About Creative Work
- We Are Unmoored. It’s Time To Re-Tether.
- The Most Important Question You’re Probably Not Asking
- Alone With Your Thoughts
- How I Use Scrivener To Organize My Book Writing