Episode Date March 28, 2023
Featured Guest Debbie Millman
Featured Book "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace

Episode Summary

Debbie Millman reading from David Foster Wallace’s Consider the Lobster, and discussing the presence of design in everything that we do, especially leadership.

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One of the most powerful lessons I learnt was from the author Peter Block, who said that a characteristic of someone living an adult life is the willingness to make hard decisions. The same thing is often said about leadership, but I really like that he’s shifted that simple and difficult task to be present at the heart of being human. Block says that the inevitable outcome of making a hard choice is two feelings; guilt and anxiety, which, then, aren’t personal flaws, but rather features of having the courage to be an adult in your own life.

Debbie Millman is a designer to her bones. She’s the author of seven books, one of the OGs of podcasting, and an educator who runs the first ever graduate program in branding at the School of Visual Arts.

Debbie reads a passage from ‘Consider the Lobster’ by David Foster Wallace. [reading begins at 20:33]

Hear us discuss:

  • “Design is about intention.” [5:48]
  • The Panther by Rainer Maria Rilke. [11:46]
  • Sitting with failure: “The only feeling we don’t metabolize is regret.” [14:28]
  • Becoming a leader that inspires. [24:11]
  • The difference between a great leader, and a great salesman. [27:03]
  • The struggle of finding balance in servant leadership. [31:12]
  • Designing your life: “Take small steps up the mountain … you don’t want to peak until the day before you die.” [36:31]
  • Success Vs. Purpose. [41:22]

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Resources:

Debbie Millman | Website | Instagram | Why Design Matters | Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits

David Foster Wallace | Consider the Lobster

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Michael Bungay Stanier

Michael Bungay Stanier

I'm the author of five books that have collectively sold more than a million copies. I'm the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. I'm the host of the *2 Pages with MBS* podcast.

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