In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful—but counterintuitive—practices for sustaining high-performance teams: making it safe to bring bad news forward, early and often. Drawing from manufacturing history and deep space exploration, we examine the critical link between team culture and breakthrough solutions. First, we hear from Lindy Elkins-Tanton , planetary scientist at UC Berkeley and author of Mission Ready . Lindy shares the harrowing experience of a near-catastrophic flaw disc...
May 19, 2026•36 min•Season 1Ep. 110
This week, we explore two forces that shape every creative journey: constraint and uncertainty. Drawing on the remarkable artistic reinventions of Hokusai, we look at how creative legends transitioned from running from the box to thriving within it—and how that same process plays out in creative work today. Our first guest, David Epstein, author of Inside the Box , systematically dismantles the myth of the blank canvas and shows why true creative breakthroughs happen inside carefully constructed...
May 12, 2026•39 min•Season 1Ep. 109
In this episode, we examine what really drives our actions as leaders and creators, and why our best intentions often fail to deliver results. We open with the image of a child learning to walk—stumbling and falling, while well-meaning parents instinctively rush to protect. That same inner protection mechanism stays with us into adulthood, quietly shaping our creative work and leadership decisions. First, we hear from Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Your Desired Future , who distills decades of execu...
May 05, 2026•38 min•Season 1Ep. 108
In this surprise revival of the Herding Tigers Podcast, we kick off a new direction with an exploration of what it means to "optimize" as leaders. We discuss the invisible drivers that cause organizational tension, challenging the idea that conflict always comes from personality clashes or miscommunication. Instead, we unpack the reality that everyone—ourselves included—is optimizing for something different, whether it’s stability, recognition, autonomy, craft, efficiency, or meaning. We share r...
May 02, 2026•11 min•Season 1Ep. 107
This week, we explore the invisible boundaries that shape our work, our relationships, and our own sense of what's possible. We open with the story of the four-minute mile: for nine years, no one could break it—until Roger Bannister did, and the floodgates opened. What changed? Not the runners’ bodies, but their sense of possibility. This episode is about those frames we rarely question—the ones that quietly dictate how high we reach and what doors we see as closed. We’re joined by Tom Rath, bes...
Apr 29, 2026•32 min•Season 1Ep. 106
In this episode, we step into the often-invisible world of cultural scripts—the unwritten rules that shape what we see, what we ignore, and even how we work and create. We begin with the unforgettable story of world-class violinist Joshua Bell playing incognito in a D.C. metro station, and explore why only children stopped to listen. Our first guest, Oliver Sweet, head of ethnography at Ipsos and author of The Rules That Make Us , reveals how culture acts like an unseen operating system, shaping...
Apr 21, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 105
In this episode, we examine why even the greatest minds—think Leonardo da Vinci—struggled to finish what they started, and why uncompleted work is less about laziness and more about well-disguised avoidance. We’re joined by John Acuff , bestselling author of Procrastination Proof , who offers a smart, actionable reframe for tackling procrastination head-on. We explore the hidden complexity behind why we put things off, dissecting how procrastination isn’t a matter of willpower, but a short-term ...
Apr 15, 2026•25 min•Season 1Ep. 104
This week, we dive into the architecture of trust, brand, and why the most resilient organizations don’t rely on quick fixes. We revisit the case of Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol crisis, looking beyond textbook crisis management to the underlying fabric of a company built on values that withstand disaster. We’re joined by Marcus Buckingham , author of Design Love In , who reveals why “love” isn’t just a luxury in business, but the essential driver of extreme positive outcomes—far beyond mere e...
Apr 08, 2026•36 min•Season 1Ep. 103
This week, we explore the myth of sudden breakthroughs in creative and leadership journeys, digging instead into the reality: a meaningful life is built in the margins, not the spotlight. We first connect with Mason Currey, author of Making Art and Making a Living , who shares stories from the lives of celebrated creators—revealing that ideal conditions are a fantasy and resourcefulness is universal. Currey shows us how figures from Petrarch to William Carlos Williams navigated relentless financ...
Apr 01, 2026•30 min•Season 1Ep. 102
There’s a silent war being waged on our creative lives, but it’s not the obvious enemies we expect. In this episode, we dive deep into the invisible threats constraining our creativity—both inside organizations and in the culture at large. First, we speak with Cassie McDaniel, VP of Design at Medium, about the art of protecting creative space in a business world that increasingly values efficiency over deep thinking. She shares how real leadership involves building trust, creating the right cons...
Mar 25, 2026•37 min•Season 1Ep. 101
In this episode of Daily Creative, we explore the often-overlooked link between our environment, memory, and creative potential. We kick off with the story of Cicero and ancient memory techniques, dive deep with 6-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis (author of Everyday Genius ) on the method of loci (the "memory palace"), and unpack the science behind our Indoor Epidemic with Dr. John LaPuma. Together, we consider how modern life—filled with screens and boxed-in routines—could be diminishing ...
Mar 18, 2026•31 min•Season 1Ep. 100
In this episode, we explore what to do when the weight of uncertainty and overwhelm makes it hard to think, create, or move forward. We open with the legendary survival story of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, drawing practical lessons about leadership, adaptability, and creative resilience. When everything spins out of control, it’s not about getting back to what we’ve lost—it’s about reframing the mission and determining the next right move. We dig deep into how overwhelm isn’t just ...
Mar 10, 2026•17 min•Season 1Ep. 99
This week, we kicked things off with a story that’s almost too good to be true—the Great Emu War of 1932—and used it to highlight what happens when we try to solve modern problems with old, top-down thinking. As organizations confront complexity and change, we’re not up against simple, centralized challenges anymore; we're facing adaptive, distributed ones. We sat down with Emily Tedards and Jason Wild, co-authors of Genius at Scale . They challenged the myth of the lone genius and shared how tr...
Mar 03, 2026•27 min•Season 1Ep. 98
In this episode, we explore a new dimension of intelligence for navigating our rapidly-changing world. We start with the story of Hiroo Onoda, a soldier whose unwavering commitment to a mission long after its context had vanished becomes a powerful metaphor for how rigidity can keep us stuck. We dive deep into "AQ"—Agility Quotient—with Liz Tran, founder of AQ Learning Lab and author of AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That's Always Changing . Liz breaks down why AQ matters now more th...
Feb 24, 2026•22 min•Season 1Ep. 97
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 openin...
Feb 17, 2026•8 min•Season 1Ep. 96
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 ...
Feb 11, 2026•28 min•Season 1Ep. 95
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 de...
Feb 03, 2026•21 min•Season 1Ep. 94
In this episode, we dive deep into the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Inspired by Ada Lovelace's early vision of creative machines, we explore how the boundaries between expertise and common sense have been reshaped by modern AI, from expert systems to today's generative models. We sit down with pioneers and practitioners—Vasant Dhar, a longtime AI researcher and author of Thinking With Machines ; Christopher Mims, technology journalist and author of ...
Jan 27, 2026•38 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Episode 92: Ownership Daily Creative In this episode, we dive into the nuanced meaning of ownership in creative work and leadership. As the landscape is rapidly transformed by AI and powerful new tools, we explore the temptation to offload not just labor but also the very thinking that gives our work its unique signature. We unpack what it means to retain genuine ownership of process, relationships, and output—moving beyond merely curating machine-generated results and instead staying empathetic...
Jan 20, 2026•27 min•Season 1Ep. 92
In this episode, we dive deep into the human urge to create—what fuels it, why it feels so essential, and how we can harness it more intelligently in our work. We are joined by psychologist George Newman (author of How Great Ideas Happen ) and philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (author of The Mattering Instinct ), who guide us through both the mechanics and meaning of creativity. We explore why creativity is not just a talent or an act, but a fundamental human response that pushes back agai...
Jan 13, 2026•27 min•Season 1Ep. 91
In today’s episode, we explore what it means to create work that lasts not just for the next trend cycle, but for generations. We dive deep into the interplay of intuition, identity, and intentionality that underpins creative longevity, and how these often-invisible forces guide great design, resilient businesses, and enduring cultural impact. We sit down with two very different thinkers whose experiences mirror this theme. First, we hear from Robert Brunner , renowned industrial designer and fo...
Jan 06, 2026•39 min•Season 1Ep. 90
What happens when the chase is over and the dream is finally caught? In this episode, we sit down with Lionel Cartwright—whose career soared to the top of the country music charts—to explore the rarely discussed crossroads of success. After years of relentless pursuit, Lionel achieved all the milestones he’d imagined: record deals, number one hits, and recognition. Yet, in those quiet moments away from the spotlight, he was confronted with the unexpected question: Is this it? We follow Lionel’s ...
Dec 23, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 89
This week, we celebrate a major milestone... 20 years of the podcast! The first episode of The Accidental Creative launched in December 2005. While this is episode 88 of the re-branded version, Daily Creative , this is something like episode 1,398 of the podcast. We take a reflective journey back to where it all began, unpacking the origin story of the show and the creative work that continues to shape everything we do. Todd shares the challenges of being a young creative director attempting to ...
Dec 16, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 88
In December 2025, we celebrate something special—twenty years of this podcast, which first launched as Accidental Creative in December 2005. We reflect on how starting, even with imperfect beginnings, is an essential part of a creative journey. In this episode, we draw insights from the book Daily Creative , sharing a series of thought-provoking essays designed for creative professionals navigating the end of the year. We explore themes from balance and priorities (Rubber and Glass Balls), begin...
Dec 09, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 87
In this episode of Daily Creative, Todd Henry explores the subtle ways in which we avoid true commitment to our creative and professional ambitions. Todd discusses the concept of "escape hatches"—the backup plans, excuses, and rationalizations that prevent us from risking real vulnerability and discovering what we’re truly capable of. Drawing from personal stories and practical frameworks, we unpack three common escape hatches that undermine creative and leadership excellence: procrastination an...
Dec 02, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 86
In this episode, we take a step back from our typical interview format to reflect on something many creative leaders are feeling right now: a subtle but persistent sense of drift amidst uncertainty. Drawing from recent conversations with leaders worldwide, Todd Henry digs into the changing dynamics of organizations, shifting marketplaces, and the unique challenges and numbness that come with these times. Instead of providing easy answers, Todd shares five uncomfortable—but essential—questions de...
Nov 18, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 85
In this episode, we explore the unconventional story of Yvon Chouinard, the “dirtbag” climber who became the founder of Patagonia and ultimately gave away his billion-dollar company to protect its mission. In conversation with David Gelles—New York Times journalist and author of Dirtbag Billionaire —we dig into the paradoxes of success, the power of awareness, and the ongoing tension between principle and profit. We discuss how Chouinard’s love for the outdoors led him to create climbing gear ou...
Nov 11, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 84
For decades, we've been told that high performance is about gathering the brightest stars—the so-called “super chickens”—onto one team and watching the magic happen. But what if this approach is exactly what’s holding us back? In this episode, we challenge the myth of the lone genius and superstar culture, inspired by the research of evolutionary biologist William Muir and our guest, Jon Levy, author of Team Intelligence . We dig into why the true driver of organizational excellence isn’t the br...
Nov 04, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 83
In this episode, we dive deep into what it truly means to sustain high performance—without losing ourselves along the way. We explore why the relentless pursuit of optimization can leave us exhausted, disconnected, and ultimately unsatisfied, even as our productivity dashboards look more impressive than ever. We sit down with Dr. James Hewitt, a human performance scientist and author of Regenerative Performance , who challenges the contemporary obsession with “optimization.” Instead, he offers a...
Oct 28, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 82
In this episode, we dive deep into the paradoxical space where creativity thrives: the intersection of safety and danger. Drawing inspiration from IDEO’s iconic reinvention of the shopping cart, we explore how play, risk, and psychological safety fuel real innovation. We’re joined by Ben Swire—author of “Safe Danger” and former IDEO design lead—and Cas Holman, designer and author of “Playful,” to rethink the role of play and trust in work, leadership, and life. Ben shares why “safe danger” is th...
Oct 21, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 81
