179. Dr. Natalie Nixon - Wonder + Rigor

“Creativity is our ability to toggle between wonder & rigor to solve problems, produce novel value & generate meaning.”

Natalie Nixon is a Creativity Strategist and President of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC. She helps organizations accelerate innovation and growth by developing meaningful strategy through design thinking and ethnographic research. Dr. Nixon is a Fellow at the Paris d.School, a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in social innovation and design for social impact, and a Senior Advisor at Econsult Solutions. She is the Founding Director of the Strategic Design MBA program at Philadelphia University, where she was a professor in design strategy and management. She is a published author and a global speaker.

She is a highly sought after keynote speaker, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation. Natalie advises leaders on transformation- by applying wonder and rigor to amplify growth and business value. She brings an innovative and unique perspective to every keynote, strategic advisory engagement, and leadership coaching session. Her experience living in 5 countries combined with her background in anthropology, fashion, academia, and dance distinguish her as a one-of-a-kind creativity expert.

Natalie has been named among the top women keynote speakers by Real Leaders and BigSpeak; and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and INC. She’s the author of the award-winning The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work and her firm Figure 8 Thinking, was named among the top women-led innovation firms by Core 77. Marketing guru Seth Godin has said that Natalie “helps you get unstuck and unlock the work you were born to do!”; and Jessi Hempel, host of LinkedIn’s “Hello Monday” podcast called Natalie “a personal trainer for your creativity muscle”.

R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:

• Start with gratitude. 
• Stay humble. 
• Model empathy.
• Be curious.
• Take action. 
• Know and practice asking divergent and convergent questions.
• Seek to strike a balance of wonder and rigor.
• Be a clumsy student.
• Always seek creative ways to learn and grow.

Resources:

• Figure 8 Thinking with Natalie Nixon
• About Natalie Nixon | Figure 8 Thinking
• Cultivating Curiosity with Natalie Nixon
• 7 rules for improvising at work | Natalie Nixon | TEDxPhiladelphia
• Natalie Nixon Speaker Reel
• Warren Berger’s Books 
• Natalie Nixon | Penn GSE

Where to find R.O.G. Podcast:

R.O.G on YouTube

R.O.G on Apple Podcasts

R.O.G on Spotify

How diverse is your network?  N.D.I. Network Diversity Index

What is your Generosity Style?  Generosity Quiz

Credits:

Natalie Nixon, Sheep Jam Productions, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 180, with Shannon Cassidy for a Generous Leadership Coaching Tip.