The Zack Arnold Podcast How to Build Collaborative Cultures & Fix Toxic Creative Environments | with Chris Deaver
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Today's guest is Chris Deaver, the co-founder of BraveCore, a leadership consultancy dedicated to helping leaders embrace creativity and empowering creatives to become better leaders. Chris has worked with Fortune 500 companies like Apple and Disney, inspiring them to develop groundbreaking content through a culture known as co-creation.
In today's corporate landscape, many companies stifle creativity and operate under toxic cultures, often without realizing it. As Chris and I discussed, this has been the norm for years because it worked. But now we've reached a tipping point where things are starting to fall apart, and the way we collaborate and build relationships needs to evolve. Chris and I explore what the culture of co-creation entails and how it has benefited early adopters like Apple. More importantly, he provides practical steps you can take to cultivate a culture of co-creation in your own environment.
Even if you're not a manager or CEO, my conversation with Chris provides essential advice for anyone who is a creative collaborating with others.. It highlights the importance of changing how we communicate with each other to foster more nurturing relationships, regardless of our roles.
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Here's What You'll Learn:
- Why Chris left his job at Disney after meeting a 'successful' animator
- How the International Mentoring Network started and how it grew
- KEY TAKEAWAY: There isn't a single path but a set of building blocks
- What is co-creation and how it helps in collaboration
- Why companies kill creativity
- The concept of the beast versus the baby
- How co-creation became an essential tool in the writing of Iron Man
- The questions you can ask to activate your creativity
- The toxic cultures that kill creativity (without us realizing it) and how to change them
- If there are better ways to do things, why aren't we doing it?
- What are the four turnings and where we are now in the cycle
- How to begin a culture of co-creation
- What are brave conversations
- KEY TAKEAWAY: If you want to affect change, it has to start with you and the next person, not from the top down.
- The first step toward building a culture of co-creation
- How to change behaviors and rethink relationships
Useful Resources Mentioned:
The Creative Act: A Way of Being: Rubin, Rick
What Is the Fourth Turning? Strauss and Howe's Theory of Crisis | Shortform Books
First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
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Building Skills, Relationships, and Weathering Industry Storms | with Shie Rozow
How to Build Meaningful Relationships in the ‘Real World’ | with Camille Virginia
How to Live a Better Life Simply by Asking Better Questions | with Marc Champagne
Let’s Stop Talking About “Productivity” and Start Talking About Balance | with Mike Vardy
Guest Bio:
Chris Deaver
Chris Deaver is cofounder of BraveCore, a leadership consultancy that helps leaders be more creative and creatives be better leaders. He’s influenced Fortune 500s from the inside, including Apple and Disney, creating breakthrough content like Different Together and Collaboration by Design, and inspiring teams shaping iProducts and Star Wars experiences.
His clients also include other Fortune 500 companies, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, LinkedIn, Nike, and Lockheed Martin. He is the co-author of Brave Together: Lead By Design, Spark Creativity, and Shape the Future with the Power of Co-Creation that was published in December of 2023.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
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