Because we took a break the last few weeks, I have two podcasts to share with you today.
The first is a conversation with Ed Catmull, and the second is a roundtable of several of our regular podcast listeners sharing their favorite episodes. We will do another roundtable in a few months, so look for episodes that resonate with you. It’s fun to hear how you respond and what matters to you in the podcast. We want to hear more.
Ed Catmull. Wow. You are going to want to listen to this episode. I’ve gone back through his book, Creativity, Inc., a second time because of this great interview.
I asked him these three questions and more during our podcast:
- When did the hero’s journey become real to you?
- Who are your mentors?
- How do you shift people’s perception of, and relationship with, failure?
Here are a few other questions that I found interesting, that he answered in the book rather than in the podcast, but I think you will find them interesting too:
- How do you shut down an idea or project that someone has invested their mind –– and especially their heart into?
When someone has spent a lot of time on an idea, and it is not going to work, instead of telling them their idea is bad and won’t work, acknowledge the care and feeding that has gone into the concept. Ed suggests saying something like the following:
“I understand that you have an idea that you love and care about. But can you find another idea that you love?”
- How do I know if my team ACTUALLY applauds (rather than vilifies) failure?
“When an error is discovered, do people shut down and turn inward, instead of coming together to untangle the causes of problems? Is the question being asked, ‘Whose fault is this?’ If so, your culture vilifies failure. Failure is difficult enough without it being compounded by a scapegoat.”
- If I don’t fit the profile of a stereotypical leader, how do I know if I’m leading well, especially at the launch point of the S Curve when everything is so messy?
“In the early years at Pixar, I felt like a fraud…I knew presidents of other companies, and I had a good idea of their personality characteristics. They were aggressive and extremely confident. I didn’t share many of those traits…the trick is to forget our models about what we ‘should’ be. A better measure of our success is to look at the people on our team and see how they are working together. Can they rally to solve key problems? If the answer is yes, you are managing well.”
And then, in another instance, he says (and this pertains to the launch point more specifically),
“In the early stages of a film, instead of judging an idea’s success or failure by whether it was excellent or not, instead we focused on how well the team was functioning together.”
I want that to stick with you: when you are starting something new, you don’t know if it will be excellent or not, because things are rarely excellent in the beginning. But if your team works well together, you have the tools to create excellence over time.
And, for anyone who wonders (and I know I sometimes do) if they are leading well, ask: Are the people who are working for you, or with you, working well together? If so, you are a good leader.
Your thoughts?
As always, thanks for being here.
My best,
Whitney
P.S. Have you considered becoming a Certified Smart Growth Advisor? Individuals who become certified learn how to support others as they navigate growth and disruption using the Smart Growth™ model. Explore Disruption Advisors’ industry-leading certification program.
P.P.S. If you are listening to the podcast (and if you aren’t, start!), track episodes that influence you, and think about joining us on air at some point.
