Personality Poker®

Are You Gambling Your Company's Future

Episode Summary

In this first episode of the Personality Poker podcast, Stephen Shapiro challenges the conventional approach to innovation. Using powerful comparisons to fat, muscle, and the game of poker, he explains why most organizations unintentionally weaken themselves by cutting the very muscles needed for growth. You’ll learn why understanding your team’s strengths—and knowing what you are not—is essential for building a smarter, more innovative organization. This episode introduces the thinking behind Personality Poker and how it can give your company a competitive edge.

Episode Notes

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 style is not just who you are, but how others see you
• How Personality Poker goes beyond traditional assessments by including self-perception, peer feedback, and unconscious preferences
• What makes this tool more accurate, more fun, and more team-friendly than traditional assessments 

🎯 Main takeaway: Innovation fails when companies focus only on short-term results. You need balance, alignment, and diversity of thought to thrive.

NOTE: Other than the opening remarks, the podcast was read by my AI voice clone. It's far from perfect, but it works. 

📘 Based on the book Personality Poker by Stephen M. Shapiro, published in 2010 by Portfolio Penguin. The text remains the same as what was in the original book.

🎧 Subscribe now and discover how to play to your strong suit while building teams that are ready for anything.