Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity

250 Pages·2011·1.54 MB·English

by  Josh Linkner

Praise for Disciplined Dreaming
‘‘Itisoftensaidtherearedreamersandtherearedoers.Neverbeforehas
someoneconnectedthedotsandclarifiedthepathbetween‘dreaming’
and ‘doing’ like Josh Linkner has in Disciplined Dreaming. This is a
must-read for the innovators and creators who want to cross over to
theexecutionsideandmaketheirdreamscometolife.’’
—DanGilbert,chairmanandfounder,QuickenLoans,and
majorityowner,ClevelandCavaliers
‘‘Creativity fuels the growth engine that drives results. Disciplined
Dreaming gives us a practical and inspirational roadmap to move
us from incremental improvements to radical breakthroughs. Josh
Linknerhassuccessfullybuiltsomeofthemostcreativecompaniesin
theworldandshowsustheway.’’
—JeffDeGraff,professor,RossSchoolofBusiness,Universityof
Michigan,AnnArbor,andauthor,LeadingInnovationand
CreativityatWork
‘‘Innovationintheworkplaceiswhatallowsorganizationstoexceland
exceed customer expectations. In this must-read book, Josh Linkner
provides concrete ways to increase creativity within any business so
it can grow and succeed in today’s very competitive marketplace.
Disciplined Dreaming provides fun and exciting ways to motivate
both individuals and teams at all levels of any organization. Highly
recommended!’’
—CurtAvallone,chiefmarketingofficer,Sears
‘‘NowallthosedaysIspentdreamingcanbeputtogooduse.Disciplined
Dreaminghelpsyouharnessyourcreativity.Wellworthyourtime.’’
—KeithCrain,chairmanandCEO,CrainCommunications
‘‘In Disciplined Dreaming, Josh Linkner offers a guide for encouraging
and protecting creativity as one of the few sustainable advantages in
arelentlesslycompetitiveenvironment.Iwouldrecommendithighly
fortheleadersandadvisorstoanyhigh-growthorganization.’’
—VictorE. Parker,managingdirector,SpectrumEquity
Investors
iii
DISCIPLINED
DREAMING
A PROVEN SYSTEM TO DRIVE
BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVITY
Josh Linkner
Copyright2011byJoshLinkner.Allrightsreserved.
PublishedbyJossey-Bass
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Linkner,Josh,1970-
Disciplineddreaming:aprovensystemtodrivebreakthroughcreativity/JoshLinkner.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-470-92222-4(cloth);ISBN978-1-118-00169-1(ebk);ISBN978-1-118-00170-7
(ebk);ISBN978-1-118-00171-4(ebk)
1. Creativeabilityinbusiness.2. Successinbusiness. I.Title.
HD53.L562011
650.1—dc22
2010046965
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
firstedition
HBPrinting10987654321
To my incredibly creative kids,
Noah and Chloe

Contents
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 The Case for Creativity 7
2 Disciplined Dreaming: Your System for Creativity 19
STEP ONE Ask
3 Defining the Creativity Challenge 41
4 Driving Curiosity and Awareness 59
STEP TWO Prepare
5 Gaining the Keys to a Creative Mind andCulture 81
6 Preparing YourEnvironment to Promote Creative
Passion 109
STEP THREE Discover
7 Discovering the Waysof Creativity 125
vii
viii CONTENTS
STEP FOUR Ignite
8 Generating Creative Sparks 143
9 Igniting the Sparks of Creativity: The Eight Most
Powerful Techniques 163
STEP FIVE Launch
10 Bringing Your Ideas to Life: The Launch 185
Epilogue: The Power of One 205
AppendixA:TheTopSixCreativityMyths(andTruths) 207
AppendixB:AdditionalWarm-UpExercisestoJump-StartCreativity 211
Notes 213
Acknowledgments 219
AbouttheAuthor 221
Index 223
Preface
I’vehadthegoodfortunetostraddletheartworldandthebusiness
world for the last twenty years. I started performing traditional
jazz guitar professionally at the age of thirteen. I would sneak into
bars in Detroit, and often played until either the gig ended or I got
thrown out. After graduating high school, I attended the Berklee
School of Music, then went on to perform internationally, teach
lessons, compose music, and study with some of the best musicians
in the world. I still perform today, with the GEQ Quintet—a
high-intensity,traditional jazz group.
Perhaps surprisingly, jazz has been an outstanding training
ground for me as an entrepreneur and business leader. The skills
I learned playing jazz translate perfectly into the business world:
improvising, dealing with adversity, working through uncertainty,
blending collaboration with individual performance, and, most
important,creatingvaluethroughoriginalthoughtandimagination.
I have launched four high-tech businesses, the most recent
being ePrize, which I founded in 1999. At that time, Internet
advertising wasthedarlingofthehigh-flyingdot-comworld.There
were hundreds of emerging online advertising companies. As a
marketer, I found it odd that an entire category of the marketing
mix—promotions—was largely ignored online. And there was my
golden ticket—an opportunity to zag when everyone was zigging,
to do the never-been-done-before. ePrize went on to rewrite the
rulesof aone-hundred-year-oldindustry.
ix