Personality Poker®

  What this episode covers Why Spades matter : Their superpower is rigorous problem definition, research, and data synthesis—the foundation of smart strategy and R&D. High vs. Low Spades : Where each gets energy (inward reflection vs. outward sharing) and how that shows up at work. Common pitfalls : Analysis paralysis, undervaluing interpersonal dynamics, missing the big picture, and drifting into...

What if the key to stronger teams, more effective leadership, and breakthrough innovation was hidden in a deck of cards? In this episode, Stephen Shapiro takes you inside the world of Personality Poker® , a game that’s been played by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide—from boardrooms in Copenhagen to Fortune 500 companies everywhere. Through laughter and card trading, participants uncover d...

In this foundational episode, we explore two essential chapters from Personality Poker that will help you better understand yourself—and how to play the game effectively.   Before you try to build your “perfect hand,” it’s critical to understand the difference between the four major styles: ✅ Preferred Style – What comes naturally to you and gives you energy ⚙️ Adapted Style – Traits you’ve devel...

In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most companies are unintentionally weakening their ability to innovate The difference between visible inefficiencies and the hidden ones that do the real damage How innovation and operations can work together without sacrificing long-term success What the four innovation styles are—Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts—and how they shape team performance Why your s...

In this debut episode, you’ll discover: ♠️ What Personality Poker is—and how it’s radically different from traditional personality assessments ♦️ How a high-performance Formula One pit crew inspired the creation of the game ♣️ Why your innovation style matters, and how it affects team dynamics and success ♥️ The four phases of innovation and how they align with the four suits in a deck of cards 🃏...

Hey there, and welcome back! If you’re wondering why your feed suddenly says Personality Poker instead of Invisible Solutions, don’t worry—you’re in the right place. I’m Stephen Shapiro, and I wanted to personally let you know that this podcast has officially been rebranded to Personality Poker as of May 2025. So why the change? Well, Invisible Solutions was all about reframing problems—and that’s...

Want to be a better problem solver? What if the solution is to get in the mud? In this episode, I interview Joe De Sena. He's the founder of Spartan and is the host of CNBC's No Retreat: Business Bootcamp. This incredibly powerful show puts business people in physically challenging situations as a way of getting them to be more resilient. In this episode, here are some of the questions we tackle:...

In this freeform podcast episode, I share my thoughts on my next book: DIVOT. A divot is a term from golf. It's when you swing at the ball, if you go too deep, a chunk of grass goes flying, and this is a divot. And that's the premise of the next book - how can we go deep and create more customer value? Rather than changing direction (pivot) it is about deep value creation. In this episode, I cover...

To celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States, I decided to share this segment from my book, Goal-Free Living . Chapter 4 is entitled, "Want What You Have." Instead of looking for more and creating a different future, appreciate what you have now. Before we get to the podcast, I want to share two items: My " Purple Monday " sale  - $50 off the Personality Poker® Starter Kit and a free copy o...

This podcast celebrates 20 years since the launch of my first book, 24/7 Innovation . It also marked the time when I left Accenture and started my own innovation business.  In honor of this special period in my life, I read the Prologue to that book and share some thoughts on where we have come in the last two decades. In this episode, we explore: how innovation and management theory have followed...

What if instead of thinking outside the box, you want to find a better box? This is Chapter 4 from Best Practices are Stupid. We explore the power of Challenge-Centered Innovation (CCI) and why it leads to higher ROI than idea-driven innovation. In this episode, we explore Einstein's perspective on innovation (hint: the problem is more important than the solution) Hollywood's point of view on thin...

What if asking for ideas is a bad idea?   In this episode, I share Chapter 3 from Best Practices are Stupid . In it, we explore why looking for a quantity of ideas can be the downfall of your innovation efforts. You will hear: How several companies started with idea-driven innovation programs that led to the demise of their innovation efforts Why the signal-to-noise ratio might be one of the most...

What if the best solutions to your internal business problems can be found by looking externally ?  In this episode, I have a conversation (using the Invisible Solutions® lenses) with my friend and colleague Jon Fredrickson . He is the Chief Innovation Officer for InnoCentive (a Wazoku company) and has 15 years of deep open innovation experience. The conversation covered a wide range of topics inc...

Chapter 2 from Best Practices are Stupid : How Can You Avoid Becoming a One-Hit Wonder? Last week in Chapter 1, I explained the three levels of innovation (event, capability, system). In this week's episode I share more details on what it takes to create level 2 - an innovation capability. When you think about innovation as a repeatable and predictable process/capability like any other part of the...

In this episode, we explore why speed and power do not lead to long-term innovation. It's not survival of the fittest; it's survival of the adaptable . The content in this episode is from Chapter 1 of my Best Practices are Stupid book. We explore why the ability to repeatedly and predictable evolve your organization is the key to long-term success. I share the three levels of innovation: Innovatio...

We assume randomness lacks a pattern. But there are inherent patterns in randomness. Unfortunately, our brain is wired to find patterns even when they don't exist in order to create shortcuts that speed decision-making. But what if this very process can lead us down the wrong path? In this episode, I start with a fun experiment where I show my (pseudo) psychic abilities . I think you'll like this,...

On today's episode, we look into ways of "cloning" someone digitally . In particular, we discuss how to take the knowledge from someone's brain and convert it into workable tools.  The  problem statement we start with is, "How can we create software that is so great that customers will be mad if we take it away?" My guest problem solver is Adam Leffert, a freelance, C#,  .Net Software Architect an...

In order to sell your ideas, you need to be better at using data. But what if leading with data might be the very thing that prevents you from selling your ideas? On this episode, I am joined by my friend and colleague, Brad Kolar . He and I worked closely together at Accenture. He was also the Chief Learning Officer for the University of Chicago Medical Center. Now he helps overwhelmed leaders ma...

In this week's episode, I am joined by my guest Dan Kaus. Together we tackle the problem: "How can we find time for innovation?" Dan has innovation experience with a wide range of companies and industries, including Accenture, BP, Campbell's Soup, and many others. Dan shared some of this thoughts on this, including: Try to integrate innovation into daily work rather than keeping is separate Simpli...

In this episode, we explore the power of adventure and new experiences as a means for improving luck, increasing creativity, and enhancing problem-solving skills. This episode is dedicated to the memory of my friend, Dr. Jeff Salz, the quintessential adventurer, who passed away last month. This week we cover: Luck: How being open to ANY outcome (vs looking for a specific outcome) increases the pro...

Thought leaders for years have told people what to do. They write books, shoot videos, give speeches, and create online training programs. Consultants on the other hand do all of the heavy lifting for their clients, implementing the solutions. But what if the key to creating more value for your customers/clients – and for your business – requires a different type of solution? In this episode, I sh...

Marketers will tell you the importance of growing your network . But what if the key to long-term success is about nurturing your network? In today's episode we explore some power of creating deep relationships versus a large number of transactions . A question I am often asked is, " How can we market our business to attract new customers? " This implies the goal is to get more customers.  But wha...

Scaling a service-based business isn't easy. Especially if you are a solopreneur who doesn't want to hire employees or have expensive overhead. Short of cloning yourself or working 24 hours a day , what's the solution? A question I am often asked by my professional speaker, consultant, and training colleagues is, “How can we scale my service-based business without hiring a lot of employees?” In th...

It gets easy to fall into the trap of equating novelty with innovation . But they are not the same.  Value and relevancy are what matter with innovation.  In this episode, we explore how to make sure you are solving the real problem . Instead of focusing on your own strengths, identify the needs of your customers. We also spend some time exploring lens #22: REAL BUSINESS . What business are you re...

In this episode, I share three useful tricks every innovator should steal from magicians . Then I share one of my favorite lenses - #24: VARIATIONS. The three tricks to steal are: Don't trust the brain Start with the impossible solution. Performance is as important as the method. I also share why simplification is often the best form of innovation . The most complicated solutions is not always the...