As we reach the end of the year, I’ve been giving out the same advice over and over:
Take a break. Think like an explorer. Get in the way of new ideas.
At this point, I work with mostly C-level leaders. They’re creative, innovative, inspiring people. They have big ideas. They’re also stretched, stressed, and tired after two years of leading through a pandemic.
And lately, instead of hammering deeper into their current portfolio of ideas, or encouraging their existing practice of turning their work into insights, I’ve been advising a hard left turn.
Get in the way of new ideas.
I first wrote about this back before the pandemic, but it applies even more today.
We all need some fresh air and some fresh ideas. A new perspective. Someone else’s story. Maybe some fiction? Or poetry? A voice we’ve never heard before. An unfamiliar landscape. In short, we all need to shake things up and, honestly, get out of our own heads.
I’ve even had clients who are so burned out, or so jumbled, or in such a moment of transition, that I prescribe a Hard Stop on New Ideas. Instead of digging into their own insight, I ask them to think like an explorer. Seek out things that are interesting and exciting to you. Gather those ideas. Curate them. But stop trying to produce something groundbreaking and new.
So that’s my charge to the tired CEOs out there, and to you! I hope you can take the December lull, when your inbox is quiet and time feels more slippery than usual, to get in the way of new ideas.
And if the end of the year flurry, holiday stress, or another.variant.ruining.everything has you down, then maybe your version of “get in the way of new ideas” is taking a break from whatever media stresses you out, in favor of Slow Media (hello, paper books) or no media at all.
Below, I’m sharing a few book ideas. But we can find new ideas anywhere — a walk along a new route in your neighborhood, watching a favorite holiday movie from childhood with a new perspective, a new-to-you podcast, or a conversation with old friends.
Wishing you big ideas, new ideas, and most of all, a break.
On My Bookshelf
If you need a last-minute holiday gift, or a boost for your own reading list, I recommend:
[fiction]
The Last Romantics — Tara Conklin
The best novel I read in 2021. This book ticked all the boxes for me: Multi-decade family story, complicated relationships, a little mystery, and characters who are trying to get better.
[creative nonfiction]
The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West — John Branch
Thanks to Dennis Shiao for recommending this author. I was surprised how quickly I was immersed in a world I’d never thought about: the family business of rodeo.
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life — Lulu Miller
This book finally came up in my library hold list, and I’m digging in this week. Written by the cohost of the podcast Invisibilia, this book is a mishmash of memoir, historical deep-dive, and pop science.
[business]
Build Boldly: Chart your unique career path and lead with courage — Bolanle Williams-Olley
I’m a huge fan of Bolanle’s approach to leadership — bet on yourself, lift as you climb, and make time for your values now.
Rituals for Virtual Meetings: Creative Ways to Engage People and Strengthen Relationships — Kursat Ozenc and Glenn Fajardo
Because don’t we all need some help with our virtual meetings, two years in? This book is a good companion to another one of my recent favorites, Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering.
