David Burkus > Quotes

“Creative ideas make people uncomfortable. It turns out that, at least subconsciously, we can have a hard time recognizing ideas as both new and useful at the same time. This cognitive dissonance between creativity and practicality may actually create a subtle bias against creative ideas.”
― David Burkus, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas

“It wasn´t the work that was stressing them out; it was constantly having to stop working so they could talk about the work they were just distracted from doing”
― David Burkus, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams

“Close Open Offices”
― David Burkus, Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“There is also no clothing policy at Netflix, but no one comes to work naked.”
― David Burkus, Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“The ideal space for focused work is not about freedom from noise, but about freedom from interruption. Finding a space you can hide away in, regardless of how noisy it is, may be the best strategy for making sure you get the important work done.”
― David Burkus

“Time away from work makes work better.”
― David Burkus, Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“What if you’re not the tall, extroverted, dapper, energetic, eloquent, highly educated professional who’s giving you the advice? Would it still work for you? Would you even want to try it?”
― David Burkus, Friend Of A Friend . . .: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career – Research-Based Guidance for Professional Success

“In a 2010 meta-analysis, experiencing loneliness and having weak social connections was found to reduce a person’s life span by the equivalent of smoking fifteen cigarettes a day or drinking more than six alcoholic beverages a day.”
― David Burkus, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams – Research-Backed Approaches for Performance and Burnout Prevention

“It's not enough for people to learn how to be more creative; they also need to be persistent through the rejection they might face. All of the ideas mentioned in this chapter were eventually adopted. When they were, it wasn't just because of their creativity, at least not at first. It was the persistence of their creators that moved them from idea to innovation. Likewise, it's not enough for leaders to make their teams more innovative. Leaders need to get better at counteracting their own bias and recognizing potential innovations sooner. We don't just need more great ideas; we need to spread the great ideas we already have.”
― David Burkus, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas

“Clearing out your email inbox can make you feel really good—like you’re ultra-productive. But unless your job is to delete emails, time spent in your inbox may not be time spent wisely.”
― David Burkus, Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“it’s about knowing who is a “friend of a friend.” It’s about getting a full picture of the network you already have access to, and learning how to improve it.”
― David Burkus, Friend Of A Friend . . .: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career – Research-Based Guidance for Professional Success

“Wasserman met Grazer for only ten minutes, but his advice would shape Grazer’s career forever. “Go write something,” Wasserman told him. “You have to bring the idea.”8 As great as his conversations were, and as numerous as his contacts were becoming, Grazer needed to use those contacts to develop ideas . . . otherwise he would never become a producer.”
― David Burkus, Friend Of A Friend . . .: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career – Research-Based Guidance for Professional Success

“This is a hard truth for some to accept: that a lack of resources may not be their true constraint, just a lack of resourcefulness.”
― David Burkus, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas

“Recognition is celebrating what we do; appreciation is celebrating who we are. Both are worth celebrating.”
― David Burkus, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams

“Different Teams Require Different Team Hiring Methods”
― David Burkus, Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“Creativity is a team sport.”
― David Burkus, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas

“The eyes aren´t the window to the soul; the voice box is.”
― David Burkus, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams

“These results have some interesting implications for our views on creativity. Regardless of how open-minded people are or claim to be, they experience a subtle bias against creativity in uncertain situations. This isn't merely a preference for the familiar or a desire to maintain the status quo. It's an outright rejection of new, innovative ideas.”
― David Burkus, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas

“The optimal engagement boost from working remotely happened when employees spent between 60 and 80 percent of their time off-site—that is, three or four days out of the week.”
― David Burkus, Leading From Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams – Research-Backed Approaches for Performance and Burnout Prevention