Creativity, Inc

Imposing limits can encourage a creative response. Excellent work can emerge from uncomfortable or seemingly untenable circumstances.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Confined Freedom

Our job as managers in creative environments is to protect new ideas from those who don't understand that in order for greatness to emerge, there must be phases of not-so-greatness. Protect the future, not the past.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Advocate Guardian Management

It isn't enough to pick a path — you must go down it. By doing so, you see things you couldn't possibly see when you started out; you may not like what you see, some of it may be confusing, but at least you will have, as we like to say, 'explored the neighborhood.' The key point here is that even if…

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Experimentation Failure Keep Moving Wrong Is Right

Which is more valuable, good ideas or good people? No matter whether I was talking to retired business executives or students, to high school principals or artists, when I asked for a show of hands , the audiences would be split 50-50. (Statisticians will tell you that when you get a perfect split l…

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Collective Thinking Decisions Hiring Investing ideas Where Ideas Come From

There are many valid reasons why people aren't candid with one another in a work environment. Your job is to search for those reasons and then address them.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Candid Honest Communication Management Work Environment

The truth is, as challenges emerge, mistakes will always be made, and our work is never done. We will always have problems, many of which are hidden from our view; we must work to uncover them and assess our own role in them, even if doing so means making ourselves uncomfortable; when we then come a…

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Never Done Problems Solution Is The Complex

Negative feedback may be fun, but it is far less brave than endorsing something unproven and providing room for it to grow.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Criticism Feedback Negative Viewpoints Negativity Room for Growth

It is the responsibility of good leaders to make sure that words remain attached to the meanings and ideals they represent.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Action Leadership Meaning Theory and Practice

There is nothing quite like ignorance combined with a driving need to succeed to force rapid learning.

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Ignorance Learning Strategies Network

Most of us walk around thinking that our view is best— probably because it is the only one we really know. You'd think the fact that we all have major misunderstandings with people at times—squabbles over what was said or what was meant— would clue us in to the reality that so incredibly much is hid…

— Ed Catmull, amazon.com

Creativity Frames of Reference Listening Openness Perspectivism

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