This tension between the individual’s personal creative contribution and the leverage of the group is a dynamic that exists in all creative environments, but this would be my first taste of it.
This set Brad off. A lot of us in this room have not grown up—and I mean that in the best way, he said. The conundrum is how to become mature, how to take on responsibility and become reliable while a...
The problem is, the phrase is dead wrong. Hindsight is not 20–20. Not even close. Our view of the past, in fact, is hardly clearer than our view of the future. While we know more about a past event th...
The most productive creative sessions allow for the exploration of myriad trains of thought.
The key is to look at the viewpoints being offered, in any successful feedback group, as additive, not competitive.
The first principle was Story Is King, by which we meant that we would let nothing—not the technology, not the merchandising possibilities—get in the way of our story.
The desire for everything to run smoothly is a false goal—it leads to measuring people by the mistakes they make rather than by their ability to solve problems.
That’s because success convinces us that we are doing things the right way. There is nothing quite as effective, when it comes to shutting down alternative viewpoints, as being convinced you are right...
So what if we oversimplify in order to get through our days? So what if we hold tight to familiar ideas that give us the answers we crave? What does it matter? In my view, it matters a lot. In creativ...
So I tell myself that I have time, even when I don’t. As in, ‘Okay, I’m going to proceed as if I have time—I’m going to sit back and muse rather than looking at the clock—because if I sit back and mus...
Second, this was an idea championed by those at the highest levels of the company. Had the enormous task of making Notes Day a reality been shunted off on someone who didn’t have the clout to throw mu...
People who act without an approved plan should not be punished for going rogue. A culture that allows everyone, no matter their position, to stop the assembly line, both figuratively and literally, ma...
Paying attention to the present moment without letting your thoughts and ideas about the past and the future get in the way is essential. Why? Because it makes room for the views of others. It allows...
Our mental models aren’t reality. They are tools, like the models weather forecasters use to predict the weather.
Negative feedback may be fun, but it is far less brave than endorsing something unproven and providing room for it to grow.
Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know can we ever hope to learn it.
Lo cual me trae a la memoria una carta escrita por uno de nuestros animadores, Austin Madison, que encontré particularmente reveladora. A quien pueda inspirar —escribió Austin en el encabezamiento—. Y...
It’s extremely difficult to create something out of nothing, especially when you consider that much of what you’re trying to realize is hidden, at least at first.
It is one of life’s cruel ironies that when it comes to feeding the Beast, success only creates more pressure to hurry up and succeed again. Which is why at too many companies, the schedule (that is,...
I remember his assertiveness. There was no small talk. Instead, there were questions. Lots of questions. What do you want? Steve asked. Where are you heading? What are your long-term goals?