Flipping the Script: How John Lasseter Revolutionized Media
The first step in solving the problem is to define the problem, and, to do that, sometimes we have to flip the script.
Category: Ways of Working
Falsification: How Failure Leads to Success
Thomas Edison had been working on a nickel-iron battery when his associate Walter S. Mallory stopped by the lab. For over five months, Edison hadn’t
Focus on What You Control: How Tom Brady’s Mindset Shift Made Him the Best
During his second year at Michigan, Tom Brady was thinking about transferring. He was third string and feared he wasn’t getting the opportunity to show
Rising to the Occasion: Using Strategic Challenges to Improve
Without a challenge, a creative response is not possible.
The Power of Story in Everything You Communicate
There are few things as powerful as a good story. We see stories effectively used in the media, education, politics, and marketing. It is no
How Bob Geldorf’s Christmas Miracle Changed Pop Music Forever
On a chilly October 23rd, 1984, Bob Geldorf turned on the BBC to watch a tragedy unfolding in Ethiopia. The country was experiencing one of
Choosing Goodness: The Scare that Changed Anthony Burgess’ Life
In 1959, while teaching English in Brunei, Anthony Burgess was told that he had a brain tumor and had less than a year to live.
How the Samwer Brothers Cloned Their Way to the Top
In 1998, Marc Samwer noticed something odd. The German native was living in San Francisco with his brothers, Oliver and Alexander, when he discovered that
Berry Gordy and the Process that Made the Motown Sound
Berry Gordy always knew that he would be in the music industry. But, when his record store failed, he was forced to get a regular
Use the Difficulty: How to Turn Obstacles into Opportunities
When Michael Caine was a young actor, he was rehearsing an improv play and got stuck. The actor in the scene before him had thrown
In Praise of Overthinking
There are not many things that people agree on these days, but one of them might be overthinking. Everywhere you look, people are sharing how
Wu Wei: How to Accomplish More By Doing Less
In 1960, Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax was ready to call it quits. Despite having impressive power, he never seemed to be able to control his
Buckminster Fuller’s Epiphany and the Importance of Thinking Truth
As a young man, R. Buckminster Fuller never quite fit in. One of the great polymaths of the 20th century, Fuller wrote more than 30
10x Your Problem Solving with this Free Visual Thinking Playbook
Humans are built for visuals. On average, we receive 11 million bites of information per second. 90% of that is dedicated to sight. Make use
‘Flavor Pairing’: How Roberta and Ken Williams Transformed Computer Games
In 1979, Roberta Williams had no plans to revolutionize the gaming world. Since childhood, she had always been a storyteller, but she had no experience
Sal Khan and the Power of the Flipped Classroom
Sal Khan was tutoring his niece Nadia when he began to see a pattern. Nadia and other students were smart, but they weren’t performing in
Ray Kroc and the Magic of Franchising
When Ray Kroc was opening his first McDonald’s franchise, the first thing he tested was the fries. Of all the great things that the McDonald
The Origins of Ritz-Carlton’s Famous $2,000 Rule
In the early 1980s, renowned hotelier Horst Schulze was brought on to revive the legendary Ritz-Carlton chain. One of the first things he did was
Doing Less to Achieve More
In January 2010, Novak Djokovic was playing in the Australian Open quarterfinals when he nearly collapsed on the court. A rising star in the tennis
The Power of Visual Thinking
In 1966, a Texas pilot drew a triangle on the back of a napkin and changed aviation forever.