What exactly does a great leader do? There are three key things that an effective leader of creative people provides for the team consistently and well. On this episode, I share the importance of focus, function, and fire to the creative process.
Those who ask the best questions ultimately win. There are some questions that are obvious. These are the ones that directly affect our work and its outcomes. Then, there are questions that hover just beneath the surface of our work, and rarely get asked. On this episode, we share three questions that you're probably not asking, but definitely should be.
The two most precious resources you have as a creative pro are your time and attention. They are under a constant onslaught from organizational needs, client demands, and personal anxieties. As a manager, you must commit to protecting these finite resources at all costs. On this episode, we share three principles for doing so from Todd Henry's book Herding Tigers.
On this episode, I share a few pieces of "extra baggage" that we carry with us as creative pros, and how to shed them so that we are lighter, more nimble, and better able to attach our work.
Yesterday I spent time with students at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and I shared with them what I believe to the the "killer app" that will help them achieve their goals faster and more successfully than they can imagine. On this episode, I share what it is and how you can use it to improve your work, your creativity, and your career prospects.
A simple strategy for bringing alignment to your team.
You proably have goals you'd like to pursue or dreams you'd like to chase. It's also likely that there are limits that you encounter as you pursue them. However, some of those limits are self-imposed. On this episode, Laura Gassner Otting is here to teach us how to bust through those artificial limits with insights from her new book Limitless.
The importance of persisting in challenging times.
What drives your creative work? Some fuels that drive our work burn "clean", and some burn "dirty", meaning they leave a residue that makes it difficult to continue producing great work over time. On this episode, I share the difference between clean and dirty fuels, and how to find motivation that lasts.
How do you define legacy? Or more importantly, what will be the legacy of your business or brand? Or, for you personally? On this episode, Lucas Conley shares insights from his reseach about how people and brands are building legacies that resonate and last. His book is called Legacy In The Making.
Some ideas are so crazy that "moonshot" doesn't even do them credit. "Loonshot" seems more appropriate. On this episode, physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bachall is here to teach us how to nurture the crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases, and transform industries with insights from his new book Loonshots.
When you first step into your role as a manager, your entire work world changes. You are no longer simply responsible for your own work. Now, you are responsible for the work, the culture, the process, and anything else that happens on your team. It can feel overwhelming. On this episode, Julie Zhou (VP of Product Design at Facebook) shares insights for managers from her new book The Making of a Manager.
There are a number of ways in which we build "escape hatches" to relieve the stress and fear that we might under-perform. On this episode, I talk about three of those common "secondary ways of escape", and how to begin to counter them.
I sent a tweet (@toddhenry) the other day that addressed a pattern I'm seeing with people I've been interacting with. It seems that many people are losing the narrative. They expect results without adventure. Celebration with the risk of rejection. Pride without doubts. This doesn't happen. On this episode, I share a few areas where you need to be brave this week.
You have a finite amount of attention to spend on your work.
Work would be so easy if it weren't for all the people, right? However, all of us have to deal (from time to time) with difficult co-workers and people who seem intent on making our lives miserable. On this episode, I share a few principles for dealing with those difficult co-workers.
Writing every day has tremendous benefits to your creativity, your emotional state, and your career. On this episode, I share some tactical tips for establishing a daily writing practice, including how to commit the resources, choose your tools, and find the right format to help you turn information into wisdom.