​
Hi Reader!

The word pivot needs to be put in the corporate-jargon-recycling-bin. It can hang out in there with its friends, synergy, and disrupt.

​
Raise your hand if you are so freaking sick of pivoting. Can we just get off the rollercoaster for a second? The answer to that question is probably “no,” but maybe just acknowledging our collective exhaustion has value.

Okay… Let’s take a collective pause.

Close your eyes.

Breathe in deeply. Imagine the word pivot being trampled by horses and set on fire. Not just a little fire, but a glorious full-on borderline pyro-kinda-fire.

Exhale slowly. Feel the tension leave your body. Do the corners of your mouth want to twitch up into a tiny satisfied smirk? Let them.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And when you are ready to get back on the problem-solving rollercoaster, gently open your eyes.

Back to gettin’ shit done.

Not Every Problem is Asking for the Same Kind of Creativity

This is where many teams get into trouble.

We tend to treat uncertainty like it is one thing. It is not.

Uncertainty can mean the problem is poorly defined. It can mean the problem is emotionally loaded. It can mean the idea is too small. It can mean the idea is too big. It can mean the team has plenty of imagination, but absolutely no decision-making structure. It can mean everyone is being very “collaborative,” which can feel good but may actually serve as a socially acceptable way to avoid accountability and the discomfort of disagreement.

A poorly defined problem does not need a solution brainstorming (yet). It needs sharper seeing.

An over-constrained problem does not need to push harder. It needs space and oxygen.

A room full of possibilities and no traction does not need another inspiring conversation. It needs a decision framework and the chutzpa to stick to it.

A problem that keeps producing “obvious” answers does not need immediate execution. It needs a better provocation.

An emotionally loaded problem may not need a clever solution at all. It may need someone to say the weird quiet part out loud so the room can stop pretending.

Different problems ask different things of us.

That sounds obvious. Irritatingly obvious. But in practice? We forget it constantly.

We push speed when the work needs patience. We tout imagination when the work needs structure. We level critique when the work needs protection. We bring performative optimism when the work needs honesty. We commit to refinement when the idea is too soft to polish.

Then we wonder why the work feels stuck.

​READ MORE...​

💡 Take the NEW Creativity Assessment!

Introducing the Creative Agility Index. The FSDI's newest little sister! You know your failure and discomfort pattern, now learn about your relationship to possibility.

1 NEW Assessment, 6 NEW Archetypes, Same Human-Centered Mission: Unlock your most effective self by having better interactions with humans.

​
​As a thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox each week we're giving YOU access to your FULL report FREE!
​Use coupon code SUMMER until May 29th at midnight to unlock your personalized report.

​
We are currently beta testing the Creative Agility Index with people who want to better understand how they navigate possibility and contribute to adaptive work.

The beta is for people who are willing to look honestly at their creative pattern: not just what they are good at, but where their potential for growth and increased range lie.

If the question feels useful, what does the work need from me now? — We would love to invite you into the beta.

Because in a landscape that keeps demanding pivots, the real advantage may be learning how to pause long enough to ask the better question.

Not simply, “Where should we turn?”

But:

What does the problem need?
What does the idea need?
And what kind of creative response are we ready to bring?​
​

💡 How about some Deeper Insights:

Pick one. Or read all three and become insufferably self-aware (my favorite genre of human 😈).

🧰 Leadership Resources:

A FREE 10-day email newsletter that names your specific discomfort pattern, the one that’s been running your leadership under pressure, before your team does it for you. Subscribe →

Your EQ Toolbox 🧰 Explore the Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ Toolbox - a collection of guides, scripts and exercises to support you in real-world leadership moments.