Today I bust two of the most prevalent myths about creativity.
To go to my list of 10 Favorite Books on Creativity & Innovation, click here.
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17
MAR
2014
MAR
2014
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2 Creativity Myths Busted!
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I’ve written countless (well…I suppose I could count them, but what’s the point?) articles about creativity and innovation. As the leader of an intensely creative team for fifteen years (the team that created and produced Seattle’s legendary comedy TV show Almost Live!), I’ve been a student of creativity and innovation for the better part of ...
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12
MAR
2014
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MAR
2014
Innovation Killer: Attack of the Clones
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You want to know who’s really bad at coming up with innovative ideas? Clones. Also goldfish, but for now let’s stick to clones. Why are clones so bad at coming up with innovative ideas? Because they all think alike! They can’t help it—they’re clones!
It stands to reason then, that if you’re looking for an innovative ...
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5
MAR
2014
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MAR
2014
Failure Is Not an Option…It’s a Necessity!
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I’m currently reading a fascinating new book by Megan McArdle called The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success. In it, she argues that failure is vital to success, partially because it’s only through making ...
26
FEB
2014
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FEB
2014
Need a Quick Creativity Boost?
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Leadership and creativity speaker Bill Stainton shows how you can increase your short-term creativity by up to 20%–and it only takes 2 seconds (literally)!
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25
FEB
2014
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FEB
2014
Questioning Your Business Innovation
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My friend and fellow motivational speaker (I could also include “Seattle business legend” and “self made millionaire”) Sunny Kobe Cook has an interesting theory, and one with which I agree:
Being innovative in business usually starts with a question.
Asking a question is one of the best ways to spark creativity and innovation, either individually or within a team. Why? Because our brains will try their best to answer whatever question(s) we put to ...
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19
FEB
2014
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FEB
2014
Is Your Business Impossible to Ignore?
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When the Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show some 50 years ago, none of us could have predicted the unprecedented heights they would subsequently scale. Yet they still electrified the nation. What was it about them that was so captivating–and, more important, how can we apply these lessons to our own businesses?
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12
FEB
2014
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FEB
2014
Embrace the Messy Part!
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Messy is good.
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal talks about leadership and creativity (one of my favorite topics, and the focus of my keynote program The Emmy Effect: How to Develop and Lead Award Winning Talent and Teams). In the article, author Justin Brady says:
[quote]Most leaders talk about creativity (or its cousin, innovation) without understanding what it is and how it happens. The process of real creativity is messy, chaotic, sometimes even disgusting, and ... Continue Reading →
17
JUN
2013
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JUN
2013
Change is NOT Hard, and I Can Prove It
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“Change is hard.”
“People hate change.”
“Change stresses me out.”
Bull.
As a professional keynote speaker, I’m on the road a lot. I speak to associations, organizations, and businesses across the country, and everywhere I go I hear people whining about change.
“Things are changing too fast.”
“I don’t adapt to change well.”
“Change is HAAAAAARRRRRDDDDD!”
None of it’s true, and I can prove ...
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29
AUG
2012
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AUG
2012
Are You Asking the Right Questions?
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Today we’re going to do a bit of reverse engineering to see just what it is that makes us tick. Ready? Here we go:
Our life—which includes our job, our relationships, our income, our health—is determined, to a large extent, by our actions.
Our actions are determined, to a large extent, by our beliefs.
Our beliefs are determined, to a large extent, by our thoughts (and vice versa). But what determines our thoughts?
Our thoughts are determined, to a large extent, by the questions ...
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6
MAR
2012
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MAR
2012