Anatomy of Creative Leadership by Russ Schoen

Drive - The Surprising Truth of what motivates us? by Dan Pink

Russ Schoen — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:57:32 +0000

Check out the power of how visually representing information can really make information sink in. Not only is the technique cool, but the content of the talk by Dan Pink is fascinating. Watch the almost 11 minute video here.

DO, LEARN, ADJUST - great lessons on collaboration

Russ Schoen — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:53:06 +0000

Watch this 6 minute video for a quick glimpse at the value of prototyping.

Watch this once a year if you want to promote creativity!

Russ Schoen — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:57:28 +0000

I just returned from teaching a weekend course at the International Center for Studies in Creativity where I got to work with a fabulous group of graduate students. A number of them are current teachers working in a system that is very challenging to say the least. When they asked me for some additional resources, one of them I pointed them to was TED.com and specifically it reminded me to re-watch from of my favorite Ted videos by Sir Ken Robinson. i believe anyone who is in any way, shape, or form involved in education should watch this one at least once a year.

How we sabotage our own ideas? Seth Godin’s take!

Russ Schoen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:08:54 +0000

In our training programs, we often refer to the lizard brain, the part of the brain that is responsible for our survival… which paradoxically stops us from pursuing really novel and useful ideas. In a great 18 min piece, Seth Godin illustrates this concept very well! Kudos seth.

Jan 28th, 29th, upcoming public program

Russ Schoen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:17:29 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thrilled to announce that I will be teaching a 2 day introduction course to Creative Problem Solving at Northwestern University through their continuing studies department on January 28th & 29th, 2010. Know anyone who might be interested? Click here and/or Pass on the link! http://bit.ly/1PUhjQ

The Real Truth About Creating a Culture of Innovation

Russ Schoen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:40:30 +0000

I am excited to announce that I will be moderating a free webinar on September 9th, 2009 with New and Improved, LLC called The Real Truth About Creating a Climate for Innovation. Won’t you join me as we learn:

What are the top mistakes people commonly make when they try to create more innovative organizations?

What specifically do successful leaders of innovation do?

How can you spark more innovation in your people immediately?

Successful organizations must find ways to sustain innovation over the long haul. Wise leaders see innovation not just as a new product or service, but as a way of working to find opportunities in every job in their organization

New & Improved is offering a rare opportunity to dig into the abilities necessary to bring more innovation to your enterprise by sharing insights that have emerged from over 15 years of creating sustainable innovation cultures for our clients.

This webinar will be recorded and the audio will be made available after the call to all registrants to listen at their leisure. So if for some reason you can not make the call live, you can still learn! Look forward to seeing you at the webinar.

Rethinking Urban Poverty - A true example of innovative thinking

Russ Schoen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:00:29 +0000

If you haven’t seen this video called the Philadelphia Field Project, worth a 7 minute watch. Notice how the professor challenged his students to think about poverty in a totally new way by asking new questions. Great stuff. Click here to watch!

If you lead people, watch this!

Russ Schoen — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:48:21 +0000

Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. Do rewards and incentives lead to more creative output? What do you think? Watch this video by Dan Pink and let me know your reactions.

Business Creativity Conference ~ DC, October 4th

Russ Schoen — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:58:39 +0000

Creativity in Business Conference in DC October 4th!

2 more weeks for Earlybird discount

Hi all! I am excited to be a presenter at this groundbreaking conference! Join me and other entrepreneurs, innovators and applied-creativity thought leaders from around the country for a full-day event focused on individual, group & organizational creativity in business.

Creativity is widely considered the new capital of 21st century business. New ideas, new innovations, new systems and new structures depend on accessing novel levels of creativity - for everyone, not just the creatives. At this event, we will explore different facets of creativity as the key driver in navigating and thriving in the new work paradigm. This event is for entrepreneurs, leaders, managers, learning/innovation officers, trainers, consultants, coaches and anyone who wants to be more innovative and adaptive in the changing world of work.

Conference: 9:00-5:30 Festival: 5:30-7:30 - CONFERENCE: Lively, Content-rich, Experiential Break-out Sessions each with a different focus related to the theme of Applied Creativity in Business; Engaging Thought Leader Panels explore the creativity-centered work paradigm through the lens’ of leadership, social media, adaptive strategy and creative thinking. FESTIVAL: Comedy, Music, Networking, Book Signings, Give-Aways and hors d’oeuvres from Mie N Yu restaurant.

http://www.creativity-conference.com

What Creative Leaders Do (in my opinion!)

Russ Schoen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:47:23 +0000

In my opinion, Howard Schultz of Starbucks fame embodies a creative leader, humble enough to know he doesn’t have all the great ideas. He believes that his employees have some pretty good ideas. Here’s an example of something he did recently: I quote directly from an article that can be found at msnbc.com by clicking here.

From the msnbc article: "Earlier in the year he’d (Schultz) asked a select group of employees a question: If you were going to open a store to compete with Starbucks, how would you do it? Then Schultz gave them a small budget, told them they were on their own, and left.

In early June they emerged to present a design they called 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea. On the door it would say: "Inspired by Starbucks." (Schultz insisted the store have a different name because it offers beer and wine.) It would sell Starbucks coffee, but the company logo and graphics would be gone. So would the automated espresso machines that some Starbucks stores still use and Schultz has always hated. The food would be baked locally. There would be coffee and tea tastings in the mornings. In the evenings, music and poetry readings.

"We all said we’d invest in that company," recalls Schultz. "I said: ‘Go open it.’ "

So the question for you is How are you tapping your people for their ideas? And how are you demonstrating that you see value in new thinking?