Episode 92: Ownership

Daily Creative

In this episode, we dive into the nuanced meaning of ownership in creative work and leadership. As the landscape is rapidly transformed by AI and powerful new tools, we explore the temptation to offload not just labor but also the very thinking that gives our work its unique signature. We unpack what it means to retain genuine ownership of process, relationships, and output—moving beyond merely curating machine-generated results and instead staying empathetically engaged in the creative process.

Our guest, Greg Hawks, joins us to challenge the difference between “owners”, “renters”, and “vandals” in organizations. He brings fresh perspective on why many disengage, how environments subtly encourage or discourage ownership, and what teams and leaders can do to foster a climate where true creative engagement thrives.

Some of the themes we touch on include:

1. The fine balance between leveraging technology for efficiency and maintaining our emotional logic in creative decisions
2. Why struggle and friction are the crucibles of meaningful, resonant work
3. How organizations inadvertently suppress ownership—and how to change that dynamic
4. Concrete strategies for shifting from a renter to an owner mindset
5. The powerful impact of reducing toxic “vandal” behavior on overall team engagement

Five Key Learnings:

1. Offloading too much of the creative process—especially decision-making—can hollow out our unique voice and intuition.
2. Emotional logic, shaped by lived experience and intuition, is irreplaceable and differentiates meaningful work from mere output.
3. Vandals—self-centered, divisive team members—can demotivate large segments of an organization, and removing them often unlocks higher engagement.
4. True ownership requires us to understand the personal “returns” we seek (emotional, financial, relational, opportunity, growth) and articulate them courageously.
5. Struggle and friction aren’t just obstacles—they’re where creative insight emerges and individual judgment is strengthened.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

In this episode, we dive deep into the human urge to create—what fuels it, why it feels so essential, and how we can harness it more intelligently in our work. We are joined by psychologist George Newman (author of How Great Ideas Happen) and philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (author of The Mattering Instinct), who guide us through both the mechanics and meaning of creativity.

We explore why creativity is not just a talent or an act, but a fundamental human response that pushes back against chaos and entropy. George Newman unpacks the myths of the "lone genius," showing us that real creative breakthroughs emerge from collaboration, exploration, and persistent engagement—not isolation. He introduces smart frameworks for idea development, including gridding, transplanting, and overcoming the “originality ostrich effect” and the “creative cliff illusion.”

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein takes us a level deeper, exploring why our drive to create is intimately tied to our need for meaning and validation. She discusses the “mattering instinct”—the pursuit of significance—and explains why conflict, resistance, and friction in organizations are often expressions of this core human need. Together, these conversations reveal how creativity is both an existential response and a practical tool for leadership and team health.

Five Key Learnings:

1. Great ideas aren’t conjured in isolation. Creative breakthroughs come from ongoing engagement, trial and error, and exposure to new perspectives—not from waiting for inspiration alone.
2. Originality is often misunderstood. Striving to be radically original can backfire; the most resonant ideas have personal freshness but build on approachable, recognizable foundations.
3. Guiding questions and iterative refinement matter. Defining and regularly reframing your creative questions ensures you’re solving the right problems and making meaningful progress.
4. Discomfort signals opportunity, not failure. The “creative cliff illusion” means our best ideas may arrive late in the process, and discomfort is often a sign that transformation is near.
5. Creativity is deeply connected to our need to matter. According to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, our drive to create stems from our longing for meaning and significance—making every act of creation a resistance to insignificance and entropy.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

In today’s episode, we explore what it means to create work that lasts not just for the next trend cycle, but for generations. We dive deep into the interplay of intuition, identity, and intentionality that underpins creative longevity, and how these often-invisible forces guide great design, resilient businesses, and enduring cultural impact.

We sit down with two very different thinkers whose experiences mirror this theme. First, we hear from Robert Brunner, renowned industrial designer and founder of Ammunition Design Group, whose work includes designing Beats by Dre headphones and pioneering shifts at Apple. He shares stories of working with some of the world’s most creative—and opinionated—collaborators, and how intuition fused with empathy leads to breakthrough products.

Next, we talk with Neri Karra Sillaman, a scholar and author of Pioneers: Eight Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs. Her research unpacks why immigrant-founded companies tend to outlast their peers—not simply due to external market factors, but because of internal clarity, community orientation, and the reframing of adversity.

We broaden the lens from iconic objects to enduring enterprises, discovering through-lines that shape both remarkable products and resilient organizations.

Five Key Learnings from the Episode:

1. Intuition is Earned, Not Mystical: We learn that intuition isn’t some innate gift—it’s the result of deep attention, lived experience, and empathy, brought to bear at critical moments of creation.
2. Identity Drives Longevity: Durable work starts internally, rooted in a clear understanding of who we are and what matters to us. This self-knowledge—tempered by adversity or migration—shapes everything from product design to business models.
3. Collaboration Requires Respect and Empathy: Great breakthroughs often emerge from teams with diverse perspectives. Navigating strong personalities and creative differences means honoring others’ ideas and creating environments where bold work can thrive.
4. Community and Shared Value Matter: We see how leaders build enterprises to last by weaving strong communities and ecosystems, deliberately involving employees and stakeholders, and focusing on shared value over short-term profit.
5. Resilience is Built Through Reframing Rejection: Successful creators and entrepreneurs don’t see setbacks as verdicts on their worth—instead, rejection is information and an invitation to try again, often with even more clarity and resolve.

Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Brave Habit is available now

My new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.

Apply for Creative Leader Roundtable

 Leading creative people is rewarding, but it can also feel isolating. That's why I've started Creative...