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

You Say You Want Innovation. But Do You Actually Reward 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

Say “Yes, And!” to Innovation at Work with Melissa Dinwiddie

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

Say “Yes, And!” to Leadership, Listening, and Change with Anish Mahajan

In this solo episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my brand-new book, Say “Yes, And!” to Change.For years, I believed the biggest challenge in change was resistance. But after working with leaders and teams across many industries, I realized something surprising:Resistance isn’t the biggest problem. Apathy is.Most people aren’t openly fighting change—they’re quietly checked out.In

“Yes, And!” to Saying “Yes, And!” to Change (Inside the Framework from My New Book) 

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

Stop Playing Not to Fail: Why Teams Get Stuck During Change

One of the most famous lines in Game of Thrones comes from Littlefinger:“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder.”I love the show. (Well… most of it. IYKYK…) and think about it often. My social media algorithms like to pop clips up into my feed, and this quote came up recently.And that made me realize

Change Isn’t a Pit. It’s a Ladder.