Stanford Adjunct Professor Jeremy Utley explores the counter-intuitive tactics that world-class innovators and entrepreneurs employ to break through. He's learned that while innovation is part art (paint) – it's also part science (pipette) – and treats the subject with both the rigor and the wonder that it deserves. Season 1 shined a spotlight on female founders; season 2 celebrated black creators; Season 3 guests include WIRED co-founder Kevin Kelly, Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill, CEO of Google X Astro Teller, start-up coach Liz Tran, Waze founder Uri Levine, Seth Godin, journalist Jennifer Wallace, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, and more.
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S3E21: The Progress Principle with Teresa Amabile and Diego Rodriguez
Season 3 · Episode 21
Monday, May 13, 2024 • Duration 01:01:57
Have you ever wondered how traditional leaders can be motivated to support creativity in the workplace? What is the secret to fostering creativity and driving innovation? Today, on the podcast, we welcome Teresa Amabile to help us explore the crucial role that managers play in shaping the inner work lives of their employees through the lens of her book, The Progress Principle. Teresa Amabile is a distinguished scholar and researcher in organizational behavior. She is renowned for her groundbreaking work on creativity, motivation, and the work environment. Joining as a co-host is Diego Rodriguez, a board member at LendingTree, whose expertise extends to pioneering tough tech, fintech, and shaping the future of transportation. In our conversation, we unpack her interest in ‘garden variety’ creativity, why reward incentives are not good motivation tools, and what kills creativity. Discover the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, typical progress inhibitors, and how failure can lead to innovative breakthroughs. We discuss the power of small wins, what extrinsic motivators are necessary, the role of AI in creativity, why the meaningfulness of work is essential for productivity, and much more. Join us as we uncover Teresa’s progressive unifying theory of design thinking and how it applies to the culture of creativity for organizations. Tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
Her shift in focus from studying exceptional individuals to ordinary people's creativity.
Learn about the impact of social environments on creativity.
How companies, like IDEO and Hewlett Packard, foster a culture of creativity.
Teresa unpacks The Progress Principle concept and how it applies to organizations.
Discover the value of “intrinsic motivation” and the steps to creating it.
Effective strategies leaders can leverage to overcome a company crisis.
Hear how a major failure can lead to an innovative breakthrough.
Potential of AI to gain deeper insights into motivation and creativity.
Ways traditional leaders can be intrinsically motivated to drive creativity.
Explore the concept of AI augmenting human intelligence and creativity.
Our guests share advice and their final takeaways for listeners.
S3E20: Creating Conscious Leadership with Diana Chapman
Season 3 · Episode 20
Monday, March 4, 2024 • Duration 58:08
To what extent are our inner lives shaped by the stories we tell ourselves? And how can we learn to see the world as it truly is? Today on the podcast we have Diana Chapman, Co-Founder of The Conscious Leadership Group, an organization that helps leaders and their teams build trust and create conscious cultures through coaching, training, and more. She is also a facilitator, CEO coach, speaker, and co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, a book that distills decades of accumulated knowledge from working with CEOs and other leaders. In today’s conversation with Diana, we delve into the complexities of what it means to accept our inner emotions, how we can learn to understand our reactivity to other people, and how these skills can help us foster environments that preserve psychological safety without sacrificing candor. Tuning you’ll learn about the profound lessons Diana learned at The Hendricks Institute, the impact they had on her life, and how she and her team help organizations foster conscious leadership and collaboration. We also delve into the importance of play, why the enneagram is such a useful tool for leaders, and what it means to operate in your Zone of Genius. Tune in to hear all of Diana’s insights on life, leadership, and learning how to see the world as it truly is!
Key Points From This Episode:
Get to know today’s guest, Diana Chapman, and how she discovered the Hendricks Institute.
The tools Diana acquired there and how they changed her life.
Understanding the radical concept that ‘I am the creator of my own suffering’.
Reactivity, acceptance, and how to change your behavior (and the outcomes).
Unpacking the concept of radical responsibility.
Learning to get comfortable with all the emotions and sensations in your body.
The intelligence underlying our emotions and what they can teach us.
How to preserve psychological safety without sacrificing candor.
Diana’s approach to creating an environment where candor can propel innovation.
The practices she and her team give organizations to foster these environments.
Diana’s insights on the importance of play.
How to assess whether there is enough play in your life.
S3E12: A Journey Through Therapy, Creativity, and Business Oddities
Season 3 · Episode 12
Monday, December 11, 2023 • Duration 52:36
In this episode, we sit down with Lezlie and Jake Karls, the visionary minds behind Mid-Day Squares, to discuss their entrepreneurial journey and unconventional approach to entrepreneurship. Mid-Day Squares is a family-run business aiming to establish itself as a prominent player in the chocolate industry. Its focus is on producing chocolate products while also emphasizing an open, unfiltered approach to entrepreneurship and business growth. In our conversation, they share their journey and strategies of the founders of Mid-Day Squares, discussing the importance of authenticity, relationship-building, and the fusion of personal storytelling with business branding to create a loyal customer base. We unpack their unique perspectives on entrepreneurship, their unconventional approaches to business and life, and the impactful role of therapy in fostering robust business strategies and their personal growth. They share the reason for declining a significant acquisition offer and how this steered them toward self-reliance and industry expansion. Gain valuable insights into reframing societal stigmas, the quirks and routines that keep them motivated, the benefits of an open mind, and much more! Tune in and learn the secrets to entrepreneurial success with Lezlie and Jake Karls!
Key Points From This Episode:
Introduction to our guests and a brief background about Mid-Day Squares.
Fostering personal relationships as the foundation for business and networking.
Learn about the evolution of the company and its unique team dynamics.
Hear the motivation for their marketing and branding approach via social media.
The value of storytelling and authenticity in content creation.
Creating relatable content while balancing viral content with genuine stories.
Understanding the difference between viral content and building a community.
Learn why continuous and genuine content creation is so vital.
Strategies to create strong, loyal fans who become brand ambassadors.
Lezlie shares why they decided to turn down a big acquisition offer.
Reframing situations and leveraging creativity as a strength to address problems.
Unconventional habitats and routines that enhance their productivity.
S3E11: Navigating Organizational Culture and Unwritten Rules with Liz Wiseman
Season 3 · Episode 11
Monday, December 4, 2023 • Duration 46:36
Understanding and adapting to unwritten rules and organizational culture is a continual process. It's essential to strike a balance between fitting into the existing culture and bringing in new perspectives to drive positive change. In today’s episode, we sit down with Liz Wiseman, a management expert and CEO of The Wiseman Group, to discuss the challenges of controlling idea flow and the problems it might cause in leadership roles. Liz is a renowned researcher and best-selling author who empowers global organizations with her groundbreaking insights on leadership development. In our conversation, we cover a range of topics, from leadership challenges to the use of AI in idea generation, and the importance of recognizing, owning, and addressing critical, unassigned issues within an organization. We unpack understanding organizational culture, identifying impact players, the role of context in performance, and maintaining an impact player mindset within different work environments. She also shares insights into the challenges faced by idea-rich individuals in leadership positions, the importance of leaders asking questions to enable problem-solving by the team, the concept of "hot spots" within an organization, and much more! Join us as we unlock the secrets to thriving within the complex tapestry of organizational culture and harness the power of the unwritten rules with legendary management guru, Liz Wiseman!
Key Points From This Episode:
Controlling the overflow of ideas she generates and its impact on her role as a leader.
Her approach to channeling ideas effectively.
The power of shifting from offering answers to asking questions as a leader.
Examples of using questions to draw out creativity from a team.
Clarifying the difference between hard opinions and soft opinions.
Developing multiple solutions rather than settling for the first idea.
Learn about AI’s impact on idea generation and the quality of solutions.
Steps for identifying the job that needs to be done and “hotspot” areas.
Why you should take ownership of unresolved or unassigned problems.
Making important issues for your team a personal priority.
How to learn about the unwritten rules as a new or remote worker.
S3E10: Getting to the Next Level with Marcus Whitney
Season 3 · Episode 10
Monday, November 27, 2023 • Duration 43:09
High performers experience near-constant pressure to improve. Marcus Whitney — venture capitalist, pro sports owner, keynote speaker, athlete, author, among other hats — shares how he plans to reach to his ‘next level.’ This is a deeply personal, wide-ranging conversation with a true virtuoso of creative craft. From exercise to creative dry spells to scaling ventures to a beginner’s mindset to the benefits of therapy, we cover a lot of ground.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing today’s guest, Marcus Whitney.
How exercise helps calm down Marcus’ busy life and exhausting your body versus a workout.
Why Marcus has seen this year as his least creative year.
What the ‘next level’ of his life and career mean to Marcus and how he plans to get there.
The importance of allowing yourself to be a beginner in order to achieve success eventually.
Adopting the mindset of scaling as a creative act.
Marcus tells us about his cathartic experience in therapy.
S3E9: Steve Jobs’ Retail Revolution with Ron Johnson and Greg McKeown
Season 3 · Episode 9
Monday, November 20, 2023 • Duration 56:32
Steve Jobs is one of the most influential people of the century, maybe even ever! But his ideas, values, and approach to life have often been skewed and mutilated by the media. Today, we wish to bring you the truth about Steve from a man who knew him better than most, Ron Johnson. Ron worked with Steve as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, and in this episode, he explains how the tech juggernaut enticed him into a job when he was already flourishing at Target and before Apple had gained its notoriety. We hear all the details of Ron’s first conversation with Steve, how he had to adjust to a new role and industry, how Steve was never tyrannical by nature, and how Steve inspired Ron and everyone else around him to raise their standards to the highest level. Ron also explains Steve’s flexibility in hearing and working on new ideas, the character traits Steve held most dear, how his philosophies are being misunderstood and misused in the modern corporate environment, and everything that his famous Stanford speech reveals about his character. Finally, after sharing the intimacy of his final moments with Steve, Ron reveals that there is no doubt that he was loved by the benevolent co-founder of Apple. Tune in for all this and more on the Paint and Pipette Podcast!
Key Points From This Episode:
Today’s co-host: two-time New York Times best-selling author, Greg McKeown.
Introducing renowned businessman and infamous Apple alumni, Ron Johnson.
How Apple enticed Ron to join the team before it became the juggernaut it is today.
More details on Ron’s first-ever conversation with Steve Jobs.
The way he adjusted to his new role at Apple and being in a new industry.
How Steve Jobs was not the tyrannical leader the media painted him to be.
Understanding how working with Steve inspired Ron to raise his standards.
How bad ideas become great ideas (and vice versa).
Kindness, authenticity, and other traits that Steve Jobs valued.
The clarity not present in most modern corporate cultures that Steve offered Ron.
Adjustments Ron made to communicate better with Steve.
Insights on Steve’s character from his carefully crafted and now infamous speech at Stanford.
S3E8: The Paradox of Leading Innovation with Linda Hill
Season 3 · Episode 8
Monday, November 13, 2023 • Duration 58:52
One of the most important aspects of leadership is having a vision for what you want to achieve. It’s the vision for a project that will guide your team and inspire them to perform at the top of their game. But how does that change when you need to lead innovation? And how do you navigate the unknowns inherent to pursuing true innovation? Joining us today to unpack this topic and explore key questions of innovation and leadership is Professor Linda Hill from Harvard Business. Professor Hill is the co-founder of Paradox Strategies, the co-author of the acclaimed book Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation, and is regarded as one of the top experts on leadership. Tuning in you’ll hear her break down the paradoxes that lie at the heart of leading innovation and why building a sense of community can be such a powerful catalyst for fostering innovation. She explains how leading innovation requires embracing the unknown while being intimately familiar with the ‘why’ of your project, before describing how collaboration, experimentation, and the ability to learn are essential for building a sense of community. Professor Hill also sheds light on her personal practices as a researcher and practitioner of innovation, her process for selecting her co-authors, and why she places such a high value on having a novice perspective. For a deep dive into the intricacies of leadership, innovation, building a sense of community, and so much more, be sure to tune in to this fascinating conversation with Professor Linda Hill!
Key Points From This Episode:
Insight into Professor Hill’s research on innovation for her book Collective Genius.
Why leading innovation means not having a vision, but having a ‘why’.
The emotional and intellectual challenges that accompany innovation.
Creating a sense of community to help face the unknown of innovation.
The details of a key Google project and what it teaches us about leading innovation.
An overview of the paradoxes you have to manage as a leader of innovation.
The distinction between planning forward and acting forward.
How to organize for action and innovation.
Insight into some of the dangers that expertise can pose to innovation.
S3E7: Judging The Experiment Not The Outcome with Dr. Astro Teller
Season 3 · Episode 7
Monday, November 6, 2023 • Duration 59:55
Ever wondered what it takes to revolutionize the world through innovation and moonshot thinking? We are joined today by Dr. Astro Teller, co-founder and captain at X, Alphabet's renowned moonshot factory, where they're on a mission to invent and launch technologies that can change the world for the better. In this enlightening episode, Dr. Teller gives listeners a fascinating peek behind the curtain of the moonshot factory and how they design their environment to foster creative thinking and innovation. Tuning in, you’ll hear Dr. Teller share his expert insights on the power of intellectual honesty, the art of unlearning limiting beliefs, and the essential skill of judging experiments rather than outcomes. We explore the strategies that foster creativity, the delicate balance between audacity and humility, and the value of maintaining a beginner's mindset in the journey of innovation. Dr. Teller also shares his thoughts on how to create internal urgency, his predictions for generative AI, and why he would love to see more companies with a moonshot division, like X. Join us as we embark on a fascinating exploration of the transformative power of innovation with a true visionary, Dr. Astro Teller!
Key Points From This Episode:
Dr. Teller’s work at X, Alphabet's moonshot factory for developing breakthrough technologies.
The deep-rooted beliefs that most people need to unlearn after they arrive at X.
‘Bad idea’ brainstorming and other exercises to help overcome limiting beliefs and habits.
Dr. Teller’s strategy for getting people to be honest with him as a CEO.
Why innovation is not a game for loners.
How to judge the experiment, not the outcome, and why this is essential.
A breakdown of how Dr. Teller grades experiments.
The five principles at X for ensuring intellectual honesty and innovation.
Insights into the criteria that X institutes for their projects.
How they approach quarterly reviews for an X project.
Understanding X’s role at Alphabet and how they monitor their pipeline.
Dr. Teller’s approach to balancing a “beginner’s mind” with input from experts.
How he determines whether someone is a good fit for a learning intervention.
S3E6: Song of Significance with Seth Godin
Season 3 · Episode 6
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 44:40
Productivity, innovation, and leadership are three key pillars that drive success and growth within any organization. When effectively combined, they create a powerful synergy that propels a company to new heights and ensures its sustainability in an ever-evolving business landscape. In this episode, we are joined today by blogger, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Founder of The Carbon Almanac, Seth Godin, to discuss the world of productivity, innovation, and leadership. Seth is a prolific writer, having authored 20 bestselling books. His works serve as profound resources for understanding key concepts in various aspects of life and business. In today’s conversation, we discuss his latest book, Song of Significance, which offers readers a thought-provoking exploration of the state of work and leadership in the modern world. In our conversation, we delve into the consequences of treating employees as mere cogs in a machine, how organizations can pinpoint productivity aspects in need of optimization, and the difference between managers and leaders. We explore the importance of defining one's value and significance, tailored metrics for success, and the power of unconventional paths in finding solutions. He also provides valuable insights into overcoming innovation dilemmas, redefining leadership for inclusivity and collaboration, balancing creativity with operations, and much more! Tune in and discover how to reimagine the world of productivity, innovation, and leadership with Seth Godin!
Key Points From This Episode:
What it means to be a useful imposter and the definition of productivity paranoia.
Examples of treating a workforce like machines and the resulting impacts.
How organizations can identify the productivity aspects that need optimizing.
The steps for individuals to overcome productivity paranoia.
Defining your value and significance as an employee.
Identifying key metrics for success that are relevant to your target audience.
Learn about the differences between a freelancer and an entrepreneur.
He explains finding the correct path by way of non-paths.
Creating the right environment for embracing innovation.
The Carbon Almanac project, what it achieved, and the lessons learned.
S3E05: Career Transitions for High-Performers with Jason Mayden
Season 3 · Episode 5
Monday, October 16, 2023 • Duration 57:09
In this episode, we dive deep into the remarkable life and career of Jason Mayden, a true high-performer who has blazed his own trail in the worlds of tech, design, and corporate America. Join us as we explore the pivotal moments and inspiring insights that have shaped his extraordinary journey. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Trillicon Valley, an acclaimed design and strategy consultancy, he specializes in pioneering new ventures and orchestrating intricate negotiations involving athletes, entertainers, and global creatives through multi-stakeholder partnerships. As we delve deeper into Jason's narrative, we'll explore the mental hurdles and stereotypes he's faced, shedding light on the complex corporate dynamics in America and how they can affect an individual's self-worth. Learn about pivotal moments, including a life-changing connection with his high school art teacher and his intern experience at Nike. Discover how Jason's family and his determination helped him overcome overwhelming challenges and stereotypes. He also shares insights into the importance of self-worth, authenticity, and transcending job titles for fulfillment. Join us for this enlightening episode as we celebrate the life and career of Jason Mayden, a high-performer who not only navigated career transitions with grace but also redefined success on his own terms. Tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
Background about Jason and his current career transition decision.
His childhood inspiration and overcoming health challenges.
Jason shares an impactful moment with his high school art teacher.
A profound conversation that changed the course of his life.
Discover how he ended up working as an intern at Nike.
Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech and design industries
He shares the moment when he met his childhood hero Michael Jordon.
What Jason values the most in his life: his family.
Overcoming mental hurdles and stereotypes.
Corporate dynamics in America and how it plays into an individual’s self-worth.
Standing up against the pressure to conform in corporate America.
Shifting from employment to deployment.
Recognizing that self-worth isn't tied to job titles or external markers of success.
Advice on bringing more play into your life.
Why the enneagram is such a meaningful tool for leaders.
Learning to embrace the gifts and shadow side of your enneagram type.
How you can use the enneagram as a parent to deepen your connection with your kids.
The Zone of Genius: what it is, why it’s important, and how can discover it.
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