Latest Josh Linkner Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• One idea can be transformative. One idea can change your career, your life, your community, your family, and even the world. I truly believe that each of us have at least one special game-changing idea inside us right now. The trick is, how do we get it out?

  Josh Linkner

  Believe, Community, Special

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• People equate job titles to levels of creativity. We think that musicians are creative while accountants are not. Job title has nothing to do with human creativity. In fact, we all have enormous creative potential. Even those that often state with authority that "I'm not creative." With a systematic approach to building creative capacity, we all have the opportunity to create and leave a mark on the world.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity, Opportunity, Thinking

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Most people believe a new idea must be fully baked and ready-for-primetime. That is like saying a newborn child should have a college degree and be self-sustaining on day one. Like children, new ideas need to be nurtured, shaped, and protected. People often hold back ideas since they are not ready to defend sharp criticism. Companies that celebrate "creative sparks" and reserve judgment while ideas mature are the ones that enjoy significantly more creativity and innovation.

  Josh Linkner

  Children, Believe, Creativity

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Separate out the creative act from the act of editing and execution. Make it a two-step process. First, let ideas flow and encourage EVERY idea to make it to the whiteboard. Don't criticize, judge, edit, budget, or worry. An idea on the wall can't hurt anyone, so let them rip without restriction. After any and all ideas have the opportunity to "come out to play", only then should you apply your analytical and logical side to the effort. Don't mix the creative process with the editing process or you'll kill your ideas before they even get a fighting chance.

  Josh Linkner

  Hurt, Wall, Rip

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Fear is the single biggest blocker of creativity.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• If organizations are focused on a purpose, something that will make the world a better place and leave a big impact, people can rally behind that mission. If a company is only about making money, it's hard to unleash passion. If there's a big WHY that the company is working to solve, passion will flow like the amazon.

  Josh Linkner

  Passion, People, Purpose

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Curiosity is a key building block. The more curious you are, the more creativity you will unleash. A great way to do that is to ask the three "magic questions" again and again... those questions are simply, "Why", "What if?", and "Why not?". Asking these questions constantly focused you on the possibilities and away from how things are at the moment.

  Josh Linkner

  Block, Creativity, Curiosity

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• In the business world, there are systems and processes for just about everything else. Yet creativity and innovation, arguably THE most important aspects of progress, are often left to happen by chance. The system provides a scaffolding for creative support and exploration, yet is open enough to avoid curbing creativity or outputting cookie-cutter solutions.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity, Support, Creative

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• There's an old saying - you'll never hit a target you can't see. Defining a Creative Challenge is an important step in focusing your creativity toward a specific problem or opportunity. A Creative Challenge can be something big such as a revolutionary new product or a cure for disease. However, it can also be much smaller such as a new package design or an efficiency gain in a manufacturing process. It starts with clearly defining the challenge and desired outcome.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity, Opportunity, Design

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• You don't often see the words "Discipline" and "Dreaming" in the same sentence. But I believe this duality is critically important to win in both business and life. Dreaming without discipline is fantasy land. Discipline without dreaming creates rigid and stifling bureaucracies. Having a process to enable the creative process will help liberate the creativity that lives within every organization and individual.

  Josh Linkner

  Dream, Believe, Creativity

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• To me, leadership is about first defining purpose. Why does a company exist and what problem does it solve for customers? How is it different than everyone else, and what difference do they plan to make in the world? Companies (and people) should be measured based on the impact they make in the world. If the purpose and solution are solid, the money will follow.

  Josh Linkner

  People, Different, Purpose

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Innovation is a subset of creativity. Innovation often deals with product launches and is often relegated to the C-suite or to heads of R&D departments. Innovation requires creativity, but creativity is something that is much more broad. It applies to people at all levels of an organization. Today, we all are responsible for delivering "everyday creativity". Small creative acts that add up to big things.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity, People, Creative

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Build creative cultures, and work with purpose to unleash the creativity of your team. Creativity is the most valuable natural resource in any organization, yet it is often a resource that is largely untapped. The leaders that prioritize and invest in creative cultures will be the wall street darlings of tomorrow. In fact, they're the darlings of today (Facebook, Groupon, LinkedIn, etc).

  Josh Linkner

  Wall, Team, Creativity

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Today, nearly every competitive advantage of the past has been commoditized. Creativity is the one thing that can't be outsourced. The one thing that can separate a company, team, or individual from the competitive set. Today, precision execution is merely the ante to play. Sustained differentiation can only come from breakthrough creativity.

  Josh Linkner

  Team, Creativity, Past

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• I admire mold-breakers. People that bust free from traditional thinking and change the game completely. Steve Jobs. Charlie Parker (jazz saxophonist). The Groupon guys. Seth Godin (author). People who dare to be different and end up creating something truly different and remarkable.

  Josh Linkner

  Thinking, People, Guy

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Creativity is what will separate the winners from the also-rans in the emerging world of business - and life.

  Josh Linkner

  Creativity, World, Winner

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• In 2008 we suffered an economic catastrophe, and the rules of the game fundamentally changed forever. A few years ago, you might hear a leader talking about doing things "the way we've always done it." No more. Today, nearly every industry is in the midst of massive upheaval. Today, we live in a world of dizzying speed, exponential complexity, and ruthless competition. Leaders today realize they need to innovate, and their chief concerns now focus on fostering creative and innovation within their organizations.

  Josh Linkner

  Leader, Forever, Focus

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• It's better to over-pay for A-level talent early on, even if you can't afford it. They will drive exponential value and help you win faster.

  Josh Linkner

  Winning, Helping, Talent

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Mistakes aren't fatal; they are merely the portals of discovery.

  Josh Linkner

  Mistake, Portal

  Source: bobmorris.biz

• Business today is all about improvisation, which is the essence of jazz. Perhaps in the past we could just follow the operating manual and do what we were told, but today the world is too complex and fast. Today it's all about real-time innovation and creativity. Individuals may get hired based on their resumes, but they'll get promoted and reach their dreams based on their ability to create. In that context, being a jazz musician was the best MBA I could have ever received.

  Josh Linkner

  Dream, Creativity, Past

  Source: bobmorris.biz