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Secret Leaders: John Cleese – How creativity can be applied to business

Fly-by summary:

When Sir John Cleese manages to seamlessly drop Professor Iain McGilchrist and
Monty Python into the same sentence with zero irony, you know you’re listening
to a conversation that’s going to be worth your popcorn.

So begins a recent episode of Dan Murray-Serter’s podcast, Secret Leaders, in
which ensues a whistle-stop tour through the whimsical and kaleidoscopic mind
of one Sir John Cleese, as he and Murray-Serter explore the ideas and tenets of
his latest book – Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide.

Cleese, with typically breezy aplomb, advocates for the importance of “putting
yourself first,” the value of solitude and play, and the need to break from the
unwelcome dogma of convention in the pursuit of innovative ideas.

Why it’s worth listening to:

Brash, witty exploration of the mechanics of creativity and how to leverage them
in practicable ways; along with a modest helping of irreverent wit tossed in the
direction of the corporate lockstep that can sometimes undermine deep thinking.
If you want the theory as well as the cheat codes on developing “the ability to
come up with ideas about how you can do anything better,” this is for you.

Skip it if:

You’re after quick and useable creativity hacks but not necessarily an exploration
of the principles that undergird them. Cleese and Murray-Serter keep things
droll, smart and fun, but they go deep. Creativity snorkelers need not apply.