In this episode (and the full essay), we explore Daniel Pink’s “FedEx Day” concept — reimagined as the far more realistic, leader-friendly FedEx Hour. Because most of us can’t disappear for a whole day to chase a creative idea… but almost everyone can give themselves one hour a week.

One hour to deliver something new.One hour to create instead of react.One hour where your brain is free from crisis, email, or the tyranny of the to-do list.

This piece unpacks why that single hour becomes a powerful reset — for energy, creativity, and leadership clarity.

In this reflection, we cover:

Why creativity isn’t a luxury — it’s fuelLeaders spend most of their day extinguishing fires. FedEx Hour relights the imagination.

The neuroscience behind the sparkFocused creative time activates parts of your brain that problem-solving and crisis management can’t touch.

How a one-hour idea can shift your whole weekEven if the idea never becomes operational, the feeling of producing something new is transformative.

Why accomplishment matters more than completionFedEx Hour gives leaders the rare experience of making something instead of managing something.

How small creative practices build resilienceCreativity recenters you — and gives you the motivation to return to the harder, heavier parts of your work.

FedEx Hour isn’t about productivity.It’s about possibility.

Key takeaway:When leaders give themselves one protected hour of creativity each week, they renew the energy, clarity, and optimism required to lead well the other 39.

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