Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro
The audiobook is available! And here is a cool video created by the production company, John Marshall Media. The book is available globally in all audiobook stores, including Audible.
Did Eric Clapton experience “impostor syndrome” years before it even had a name? I was listening to American Top 40 from May 13, 1978, when Casey Kasem’s fill-in host shared a fascinating story about Eric Clapton. Back in January 1973,
Do you like to listen to your books? You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck is now available as an audiobook. And at just $6.95, it’s currently the least expensive way to experience the book. Get your copy on Audible.
Some fun magic! In Personality Poker, one of the core concepts is that opposites don’t attract. They detract. They repel. The card trick in this post brings that idea to life. But there’s a twist: with the right structure, even
I recently gave a 2.5-hour session on how to find the hidden opportunities in every problem. In attendance was a graphic artist, Nate Dailey from Collective Next Graphic Facilitation Support, who captured the content beautifully. Although I have been promoting
QUESTION: Paperback or hardcover? I just received the proof for the hardcover edition of “You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck.” It looks great. This version does not have a dust jacket. The artwork is printed directly on the cover,
Having smart people isn’t enough in today’s hyper-speed market. In fact, it can be the problem. I once led a $30M innovation project at Accenture that failed, not because of a lack of talent, but because everyone thought the same
As you probably know, I have a fun card game called Personality Poker and a book called You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck. When I give speeches, I sometimes wear a very cool shirt or sports coat. You can
eMy second book, Goal-Free Living, was published in 2006. Not long after, I had the chance to appear on the PBS television show, Between the Lines with Barry Kibrick. Barry is one of the best interviewers out there. Over the
When I first released You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck, I intended it only to be available as a paperback. The hardcover was going to be reserved for special clients. But I had quite a few people request the
You can learn almost anything if you try hard enough. But true strong suits give you energy; learned traits drain you. Natural Traits: You were born with them. They feel easy and energize you. Learned Traits: Picked up along the
Three decades ago, I started studying what makes teams and organizations more innovative. This was while I was leading a 20,000-person process and innovation practice at the consulting firm Accenture. Two decades ago, I created the Personality Poker system as
This was a FUN interview with Angie Marasco Callen! Here’s the session description: Explore how leaders can innovate effectively in an unpredictable world with Stephen Shapiro. This episode dives into why copying best practices fails, how to leverage human uniqueness
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: When everyone fits the mold,
Six months ago, I started designing the cover for my 8th book, and my first self-published one. In the past, my publisher handled the cover and I simply approved it. This time, every decision was mine. The book is called
Something cool from my book cover designer…an animated cover! ♠️ ♥️ ♦️ ♣️
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 once led a project with
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 missed. Meetings have personalities. They
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, I can see that we
With the book launch one month away, it was exciting to receive the first proofs of the paperback version. It looks significantly more impressive in its physical form!
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 the cards you don’t have?
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 highlighting some of my key
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 cover and new subtitle for
Right now I am working on the cover design for my next book. The designer gave me five different concepts to choose from. Immediately, my gut reacted. One cover stood out to me as clearly better than the rest. Still,
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