image credit to allvisionnThere’s a quote I heard years ago that still rattles around in my mind:”The most desired trait in an employee is innovation. The most rewarded trait in an employee is compliance.”(If you know who originally said this, please tell me. I’ve searched. I’ve asked. Nothing. At this point I’ve accepted that it
In this episode I sit down with innovation strategist, improviser, and author Melissa Dinwiddie to talk about her new book, Innovation at Work: 52 Micro-Experiments for Brave Leaders Who Want to Unstick Teams, Spark Ideas, and Build What’s Next.Melissa shares how organizations can build real cultures of innovation—not through giant retreats or complicated systems, but
Image credit: NewAfricaWe were two high school kids shooting hoops in my driveway when one sentence changed the course of my life.My friend Anish looked over and said: “What if we ran the play ourselves?”He meant the Indian community theater productions we’d both grown up watching. Every year, the adults in our community organized elaborate
In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend (all the way back to childhood!) Dr. Anish Mahajan for a fascinating conversation about leadership, listening, and leading through uncertainty.Anish has led at the highest levels of healthcare and public health, from helping implement the Affordable Care Act to leading a major public hospital through
Image credit: iqonceptHere’s something I learned from 20+ years of improv: The scenes that fall flat aren’t usually missing skill. They’re missing commitment.The performers are hedging. Playing not to fail instead of playing to win. Trying to be acceptable rather than authentic.I see the exact same pattern in teams navigating change. And the fix isn’t
Avish’s Feedback from APWA WashingtonWhat happens when you teach improv to 400+ public works professionals?Magic. Pure magic.Last week at the American Public Works Association Washington chapter conference, I watched engineers, project managers, and department heads transform their approach to impossible situations. All with two simple words.“Yes, And.”Here’s what resonated most with these incredible public servants:The
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