In this episode, we explore the rarely recognized power of “seeing the here and now.” Using a memorable scene from Spielberg’s Lincoln as a launchpad, we dig into what it really means to rise to those unique, decisive moments that have the potential to alter the trajectory of our organizations, teams, and lives. While it’s easy (and comfortable) to stick to established plans and long-term strategies, the real challenge—and opportunity—lies in perceiving the pressing realities and fleeting openings right in front of us.

We break down why leaders often miss out: from the tendency to seek only confirming data, to deferring action until it's "more convenient," or sticking with yesterday's plan at the expense of today's opportunities. We discuss how recognizing and responding to converging tensions, personal convictions, and unexpected resources can set you apart as a brave leader who changes the game. Because, as we remind ourselves, the hardest thing isn't to plan, but to see what’s possible now—and act on it while the window is open.

Five Key Learnings:

1. Not all moments are equal. Some situations are true inflection points that demand we notice and act, not simply follow the plan.
2. Comfort can be a blindfold. We naturally avoid disconfirming evidence and delay hard choices, risking missed opportunities.
3. Look for signs. Tensions you’re wrestling with, persistent convictions of conscience, and aligning resources are often signals that something important is at stake.
4. Success can lead to failure. Achieving the wrong goals—because we’re ignoring reality—means we can “succeed our way into failure.”
5. Bravery is seeing and contending with reality. The leaders who change things aren’t always the ones with the best laid plans; they’re the ones who respond bravely to what’s real and present.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

In this episode, we dive deep into the real value of creative work—what we truly get paid for, beyond our time and output. We bring together two insightful thinkers, Rebecca Hinds and Jen Fisher, whose perspectives on meetings and hope transform how we structure our work days and support our teams.

We explore why most meetings sabotage productivity and how “visibility bias” tricks us into equating a full calendar with actual progress. Rebecca Hinds (author of Your Best Meeting Ever) challenges us to rethink meetings as products: expensive, important, yet often poorly optimized. She shares actionable strategies like "meeting doomsday" and the "rule of halves" to declutter calendars and refocus collaboration.

Shifting gears, we unpack the often-overlooked topic of hope in organizational culture. Jen Fisher (author of Hope Is The Strategy) reframes hope as a strategic, action-oriented process, not just a feel-good slogan. We discuss Gallup’s finding that hope ranks higher than trust as what people want most from leaders, and how misaligned incentives erode both hope and well-being, leading to disengagement and burnout.

Throughout, we challenge creative pros to rethink their real value—insight, intuition, and emotional logic—and encourage leaders to create environments where these qualities flourish.

Five Key Learnings:

1. Insight is Indispensable: Our unique perspectives, intuition, and courage—not just our time or output—are what make us valuable in creative roles.
2. Meetings Need a Reset: Meetings often serve as a status symbol rather than a tool for progress. Treating meetings as products and regularly auditing their purpose and effectiveness can dramatically improve collaboration.
3. Subtract to Add Value: Applying the “rule of halves”—cutting meeting length, attendees, agenda items, or frequency—forces us to focus on what’s truly essential and breaks the cycle of addition sickness.
4. Hope Is Strategic, Not Sentimental: Hope is a cognitive, actionable process that drives teams forward. Organizations must foster strategic hope to encourage risk-taking and innovation.
5. Alignment Drives Well-being: Stated values must match incentives and systems. Misalignment between what leaders say and reward creates dissonance, burnout, and disengagement.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

On this episode of Daily Creative, we explore the myth of the lone genius and make the case for why sustainable creative brilliance happens when we grow and nurture real relationships. We’re joined by Daniel Coyle, bestselling author and researcher, whose new book Flourish examines how true growth emerges not through competition, but through intentional connection and community.

We discuss why relationships sit at the heart of creativity, what it means to build a meaningful circle, and how to design environments where both individuals and groups can grow. Daniel shares practical insights on “making meaning” and “group flow,” illustrating how small acts—like telling stories or organizing joyful gatherings—can catalyze shared energy and transformation. We reflect on why the most profound creative work, and indeed the solutions to our most complex problems, are more likely to be found at the neighborhood level than through grand top-down initiatives.

This conversation isn’t just about feeling less alone; it’s a blueprint for intentional action in your creative life. We leave you with a challenge: take one step this week to strengthen your creative community, whether that’s reaching out to a peer, convening a group, or simply asking deeper questions.

Five Key Learnings from the Episode:

1. Community Is Creative Infrastructure: Creativity doesn’t thrive in isolation. The most resilient, sustainable creative work is built on relationships that provide stability, challenge, and honest feedback.
2. Cultivate, Don’t Compete: Flourishing is about shared, meaningful growth—think gardens, not games. Real creative communities are spaces for nurturing, not just winning or accumulating.
3. Design for ‘Beautiful Messes’: Innovation and group flow emerge when we intentionally create environments where people can experiment, collaborate, and bring out new facets in each other—even if things get a little messy.
4. Deep Questions Build Trust: Asking ambiguous, personal “deep questions” unlocks vulnerability, connection, and trust far more quickly than waiting for trust to appear before opening up.
5. Power With, Not Power Over: Leaders unleash real growth when they support, ask great questions, and give power away—moving from controlling outcomes to facilitating collective brilliance.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

Apply for Creative Leader Roundtable

 What if you had a space every month to sharpen your leadership edge without the fluff? The Creative Leader Roundtable is where smart, driven, creative leaders gather to exchange ideas, solve real challenges, and grow together. So if you lead a team of thinkers, makers, or dreamers, this is your lab. We're launching soon with a new group of leaders. So, if you're interested, check it out and apply at CreativeLeader.net.