Daily Creative with Todd Henry

When we talk about the creative process, what we’re really talking about is the ability to connect dots and make intuitive leaps. Sometimes those dots are previous projects we worked on, or experiences we had, and sometimes they are from things that we’ve read or studied along the way. Today, we’re going to talk about the value of reading to our creative process.  Our guest is Jeff Brown, author of the new book Read To Lead and host of the Read To Lead podcast.

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On today's show, Todd Henry discusses the difference between bold creative work and brave creative work. This applies both to the work we do as professionals as well as how we lead others. 

Then, Todd turns to discussing the three core elements of brilliant work that he shared in his talk at Leadercast this week: Skills, Experience, and Motivation.

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How do the best of the best do what they do? It's easy to watch and admire top performers, but we can actually do more than that. We can decode how they got there.

Today's guest is Ron Friedman. He shares insights about how we can reverse engineer the greatness of those we admire with tips from his new book Decoding Greatness.

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When you have a number of ideas, how do you know which one to pursue? On this episode, we discuss creative process, practices, and how to know when an idea is right with A/J Jackson. A/J is an American filmmaker, musician, songwriter, record producer, and perhaps best known as the lead singer for the international platinum-selling band Saint Motel. He is also the founder of AVIEW, a new eyewear brand that offers shades in every hue of the rainbow. 

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Does what you listen to affect your ability to generate ideas and be productive? According to today's guest, the soundtrack you choose can impact your creativity significantly.

Will Henshall is the founding member of the band Londonbeat and the founder of FocusAtWill. In this conversation, we discuss how different personality types perform better when utilizing different sonic environments. 

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Brilliant performers in any field often have rituals or practices that they fall back on to help them perform consistently at their peak. When you are charged with doing complex work every day, rituals can bring order to your world and help you focus more effectively. If you want to deliver a result consistently, you must systemize it, and that’s precisely what a ritual does.

However, the danger of rituals is that they can remain in your schedule long after they have stopped serving their original purpose. Worse, they can begin to work against your ability to be effective.

While I believe that high-performing people and teams must have strong rituals in their life to support their goals, I also know that these rituals must be examined on a regular basis to ensure that they aren’t becoming fossilized ruts. Here are a few suggestions for shaking up your rituals before they stall your progress.

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It's been a long year, and many creative pros are experiencing some level of creative burnout. It's taken everything we have to deliver on expectations over the past year, and as we now return to a sense of "normal", the uncertainty and expectations are likely to rise even more.

On this episode, I offer six tips for dealing with those moments when you feel overwhelmed and burned out. 

1. Pause and organize

2. Clear the decks

3. Re-prioritize

4. Time block

5. Care physically

6. Re-root in your productive passion

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No matter your job, you are probably in "the middle". Meaning, you have to manage both up and down. That can be a tricky balance to strike, especially when it feels like your own career and success is tied to the success of your manager or team. 

Today's guest is Scott Mautz. He has led multi-billion dollar divisions of companies and experienced leading at every level of organizations. He is here to help us navigate these pressures with tips from his new book Leading From The Middle.

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As organizations around the world face health and social crises, as well as economic uncertainty, acknowledging and improving wellbeing in the workplace is more critical than ever. Increasingly, leaders and managers must support mental health and cultivate resilience in employees — not just increase engagement and performance.  Today's guest is Gallup's Chief Workplace Scientist, Jim Harter. His new book Wellbeing at Work explores the five key elements of wellbeing — career, social, financial, physical and community — and how organizations can help employees and teams thrive in those elements. 

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The pressure to generate big ideas can feel overwhelming. We know that bold innovations are critical in these disruptive and competitive times, but when it comes to breakthrough thinking, we often freeze up. According to today's guest Josh Linkner, instead of shooting for a $10-billion payday or a Nobel Prize, the most prolific innovators focus on Big Little Breakthroughs—small creative acts that unlock massive rewards over time. By cultivating daily micro-innovations, individuals and organizations are better equipped to tackle tough challenges and seize transformational opportunities.

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