(The components of this series are available as individual keynotes, or may be combined for a customized workshop. Call Greg to discuss the audience and goals for your event)
Creative Leadership Series
Most of us work in a creative, rather than a commodity, economy. We make our livings by making and selling ideas and stories (about our products or services). Many of us may not recognize that we need to be creative, and therefore we don’t develop our imaginative skills. In the Creative Leadership Series, Greg helps leaders to understand the peculiar demands and challenges of the creative industry, and how to think and act creatively to create results.
“The View to Nowhere: Why Most Vision Statements are Useless”
Leaders believe that the right vision, and vision statement, will steer their organization to greatness. But far too often, vision statements are useless, ignored by employees and customers alike. Greg shows us that the problem is that most vision statements are poorly written, because they don’t tell a convincing story about the organization. Greg offers practical tips for writing vision statements that actually mean something and move the needle in your market.
“Books vs. books: Are Big Ideas Dead?”
We are in the middle of a five hundred year technological shift: since Gutenberg invented the printing press ideas have been transmitted by selling books. The World Wide Web and the explosion of electronic publishing has completely changed how ideas are shared. And it has made publishing them at once cheap for consumers, and yet too expensive for authors. The result is millions of books (with a small “b”), but few Great Books, the kind that change history. Will the proliferation of small books make world-changing Big Ideas even more rare?
“The Business of Art and the Art of Business”
How do you make money selling creative product? We may not like to admit it, but art has always been a business. Writers and painters and other artists have always struggled with how to make a living and get paid. Fortunately, history teaches us lessons and gives us models for how to make art possible, and sometimes even profitable. Greg explores the business of art, and applies the lessons in reverse, explaining what other industries can learn from the arts.
“Herding Cats and Coaching Creatives”
Highly creative people are often intuitive, impetuous and individualistic. They are also invaluable for the ideas they generate and the products they create. As a creative, Greg knows what he needs from leaders. As a creative coach, Greg has learned much about how to get the best out of creative teams. He gives practical tips for leaders trying to bring artists and writers together to get something done.
“What We Don’t Know That We Don’t Know: Calculating Uncertainty”
We know what we know, and we know what we don’t know (in other words, we are aware of variables in our thinking). But the most dangerous information is the things that we don’t know that we should be paying attention to. The solution is creative thinking that reacts quickly to surprises, and invents solutions on the fly. Greg offers practical tips on how to develop a creative and nimble mindset.