Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro

That person who drives you nuts? They’re the ace up your sleeve. We like to be with people who are similar to us. So we hire people who fit the mold. But here’s the problem:

Contrary to conventional wisdom, opposites do not attract. They detract. They repel. But what if the person who is least like you is the person you need most? I learned this the hard way. I

Everyone talks about the personality of a person, the individual. But almost everything in an organization has a personality. Teams have personalities. They shape how work gets done, what gets done well, and what gets

My most successful project was co-led by someone who drove me crazy. He was my opposite. He was detail-oriented and focused on deliverables, whereas I was driven by novelty and coolness. When I look back,

You can’t be great at everything. If you try, you’ll be great at nothing. You want to “play to your strong suit.” These are the traits that give you energy and reflect your superpower. And

I recently delivered a session for members of the Global Innovation Management Institute. After I was done, the Institute pulled together a valuable five-page resource based on my presentation. They did a fantastic job of

On April 21, 2026, my 8th book, You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck, will be published. After months of effort and hundreds of iterations of the cover, I am thrilled to share the final