Stephen M. Shapiro asserts, “well-intentioned leaders, in their attempts to boost innovation, are inadvertently destroying it,” in his latest book, Best Practices are Stupid. Stephen proceeds to present “40 ways to out-innovate the competition” in an attempt to rectify this all to common backfire.
I have been fortunate to have been introduced to Stephen Shapiro by my good friend Dan Keldsen. It is no surprise that Dan is mentioned in the acknowledgements for Best Practices Are Stupid. Dan is a genuinely smart man and tends to hang out with those who share his desire to innovate and collaborate.
Dan asked me to lead a Personality Poker session a few years back. It was then that I got introduced to the work of Stephen Shapiro. I was impressed by Stephen’s ability to take a game and convert it into a learning exercise. These games allow participants to share their insights collaboratively with the intent of innovating collectively.
When I started reading Best Practices Are Stupid, it was clear to me that new innovation and collaboration games would be introduced through the unfolding chapters.
I finally got to meet Stephen Shapiro in real life at the 2012 The Art of Leadership in Toronto produced by The Art of… Productions. Throughout the day we were exposed to insights by the likes of Marcus Buckingham, Carrot Guy, and other leadership visionaries.
At the end of the event, after Stephen Shapiro presented, we discussed The Art of Leadership Conference | Toronto | June 5, 2012 and his BEST PRACTICES ARE STUPID: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition.
Here are three segments that made up my 42+1 Leadership Interview with Stephen Shapiro.
