See Me In Action in Cambridge Apr 7

It is not often that I do events that are open to the public.  So I am thrilled to be partnering with The Big Studio to bring you a special Personality Poker session. There is no cost to you.  In fact, the first 50 people who register will get a copy of my Personality Poker […]

The Key to Overcoming Roadblocks: Innovation

In Wisconsin, the Republicans wanted to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of most public employees as a way of cutting the budget. This was hotly contested by the Democrats to the point where all 14 Democratic senators left the state, refusing to vote. They did this knowing that at least 20 senators needed to be […]

Is It OK to Marry Your Work (part 2)

  Last week I wrote an article for American Express about “marrying your work.” Unlike the “ball and chain” picture that tends to pop into our heads, I espoused the merits of loving your job, just like you would marry a spouse you love.  Be sure to read that article before reading on.  I’ll wait. […]

Is It OK To Marry Your Work? (part 1)

I was talking to a Thai friend of mine recently, someone who knows that I work a lot. She also knows that I love what I do. She said I am, “Thang kub ngaan.” This literally means “marry with work/job.” We sometimes jokingly say that we are married to our job, but we tend to […]

Tap Into Your Inner Innovation Child

I recently had the privilege of speaking to a group 400-plus senior executives from a very large organization. During my allotted 90 minutes, I conducted an activity used to demonstrate the power of divergent thinking. At the conclusion of the exercise, I asked for solutions to a specific problem. Twenty hands went up, if that. […]

The Performance Paradox on IdeaConnection

The second half of my interview with Vern Burkhardt from IdeaConnection was recently posted. Here are the first few paragraphs of this much longer interview. “We can conclude that creativity is about being present, just as pit crews changing the tires on a Formula 1 car need to be present.” Stephen Shapiro Vern Burkhardt (VB): […]

Open Innovation Book

Paul Sloane, an innovation colleague, approached me a while back to write a chapter in a book he was compiling on open innovation & crowdsourcing.  The book is now officially out. In it you will find articles from a wide range of experts in the area of open innovation. Although the writing style of each […]

Innovation & Poker Interview with Chris Taylor

I recently had the great pleasure of welcoming Chris Taylor into my condo.  He came with his video camera, an in depth understanding of my work, and an amazing interview style.  The result? One of my favorite video interviews…ever.  Be sure to check it out and learn more about Chris at Actionable Books.

Your Customers Are Cynics

[This article originally appeared on the American Express Open Forum] A large portion of my business is public speaking. And I know many others who make their living the same way. But to be perfectly frank, companies are often wasting their money when they hire a speaker. I say this not because there aren’t many […]

How Aristotle Can Help You Sell Better

[This article originally appeared on the American Express Open Forum] I was recently in the market for a new car.  I had narrowed down my list of prospects and went out for some test drives.  At the car dealerships, each salesperson immediately jumped enthusiastically into sharing the features and functions of the cars.  “It has […]