This is the first half of the second session for Maximum Impact. It was primarily Kevin Carroll (@kckatalyst), followed up with an incredible interview with Tony Blair.
Kevin talked about how play impacts creativity, productivity, and how to foster that in your work environment.
Erinie Johnson I’m really not that touchy feely. You[‘re going to hear from Kevin Carroll. You have the opportunity to text a question for him. If everyone gets on their mobiles and starts texting it tends tochop up the audio. Don’t do stuff with your phones here or you’ll miss what Kevin has to say.
Let me tell you a littl bit about Kevin Carrol. he’s an author. He’s an agent for social change. And uh, one of the things he does is take ideas and then he makes them reality. he makes them happen. You’ve heard guys who have an idea and no body takes it. Kevin Carrol takes ideas and make them happen. he’s an accomplished author. he is multi faceted. He is the founder of Kevin carrol Catalyst. He’s worked with ESPN. He’s worked with Nike. He’s worked with Starbucks. His words appear on 17 million grande cups. Thirteen million of those have been mine. He’s the author of the words on the grande cups. He’s dedicated to advancing sports and play as a vehcile for social chang.e He is a man of many talents. He is Kevin Carrol.
10:52 Kevin Carrol
I got a chacne to se a few of the speakers. I really staed to thin about the notion of courage. Me playing my cello I have not played in public since ninth grade. What I decided to do. I got an opportunity. The people here at Maximum Impact chalenged me. Would you be willing to come and play with the band. And last year with Danny Duke and the band. I screamed “I want to be with you guys.” We got a chance to thrrn that idea into reality. I worked for twice a week one hour lessons and then 2 + hour lessons of practice and lessons on my own every single day up until this moment here. That’s this notion of stepping out of your compfort zone. Demonstrating courage. It can be a gift something you can beneift from.
I learned about courage from an early age. I love this quote. Courage is shown in acts, not in words. It’s not bluffing, arrogance, or maness. He dares to do what he defines as right regardless of the consequences. Whether they are political, social, or individual.
I’m gong to take you through my childhood really quickly. We were the product of neglect. Two addict paernts who negected 3 little boys. Neglected us in ways that made us have neglected childhood. We were pt on a greyhound bus alone and rode too hundred miles and our grandparents took us in.
I went to a playground near my grandfathers house. I found a little red rubber ball. I like to say that the red rubber ball saved my life. It changed every thing for me. because of this little red rubber ball. I learned sacrifice. I learned how to deal with dissapointment.
I learned how to turn ideas into reality. Because of this idea y love and passion for sports from 6 yars to my twenties. I larned tha ta ball chan change someones life. Can be a transformative tool. I recognized the power of sport and play. I took a ball under my arms and it turns into a football, a socer ball, football, and what I wante to recreate was the magical moment when that ball created a community for me. A family. When I ran up to that playground therewere no gkids there. I started playing with the ball alone. Then the kids camme. Then in this moment of the kids do they invited me to play with them. We’re gonna play kick ball, do you want to play with us? In that moment, in that magical moment I bleogned somehwere.
I ahd afmily. It was so so seriously a moment that I never ever forgot. I made a promise to the ball that I would keep a ball under my arms for my entire life.
Because of that rubber ball I got a bachelor. I got a masters in health education. I septn 10 years in the air force where I learned five languages. The ball was’t done. It gave me more things. It kep t presenting ot me more and more opportunities. I worked in high schools and oclelges as an athelcitc trainier.
I became the third african american. All my friends were calling for tickets then. In that moment of recognizing my passion, my purpose, my intention. I had these moments where they wer unexecpeted. Take for example what would happen during a bakseball game. I was with the 7sers. We lost a lo of games. you remember this time. I had Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse their rookie year. John Lukas is an amazing baketall player. He faces demons and had his challenges. He had to ressurect his career. He decided he was going to save the souls of every troubled player.
We lost a lot of games ina lot of ways. John was making a difference in peoples lives. lad i Devas, seven feet talkll. From YugoSlavia. Walking up and down the bench. Making shot after Shot. Coach is getting angrier and angrier. Then he stopped, pauses and he looks at me. Don’t you speak his language. Say something about his mom or his dad or his sister. We’re not playing goog defence. throw him off for a littleb it. Do it! So I started insulting his family lineage in serbian. He stops in the middle of the game and says “Who is my family in serbian.” Whole rest of the game he cannot make a shot. Coach Lukas says good job. We lose the game again. Vladi is ticked. He comes storming into the locker room. He finds me and he says “You” how do you know how to speak my language? it’s as if you grew up in my neighbourhood. Uhhh… I learned it in school. I got really gooda t it. We’re looking for a sports liason. We need for the Liason. And it was here in Atlanta. We toured the US ahead of time and Vladi is a big jokestore. He saysKevin, don’t speak any english. I’ll translate for you.” So we would go around and Vladi would be my translator. And the would assume I’m an american because they see these europeans and they’d say how are you sir. Then Vladi would say he speaks no english at all. He’s from the black privcne of Monte Negro. So uhh, NBA inside stuff does a special story about me.
Nike see sit. They invite me to join mnike, make my own position at Nike. I spend 8 years at Nike being a human change agent. helping others turn ideas into reality.
I ahd understood what is meant to have a dream. We’ve heard about hes amll things from Linda. I love the fact that he says onw your deram. I learned how to own my dream really early because it was out of necessity. We are facing challenging times. I face it in my childhood. I hve learned and embedded. My grandfather said you can’t do anythin but a broke want to. How is your want ot? Pappa says you can’t do nothingwithout a want to. Check your want to. I thinkw’re getting a calling right now to chec our want to. A lot of people are oging to talk about it, but people aren’t goingt ob ea bout it. People are gathering for these events. You know that you are the individuals who are going ot make a difference. Because you have already labeled yourselves as life long learners. Individuals who are doing your human homework. You’re improving yoruself. It’s critical in challenging times.
At Nike, I got a chance to travel the wrold. Talk about passion, purpose, and intention. It was an amazing opportunity. After the military experience. I learned how to do that work at nike. I realized that play was everywhere I went in the rold.
I saw children playing wiht amazing made up balls out of things people would think are just trash. I have a ball collection from allover the world. I vhave traded them for brand new balls. This is from Uganda. It’s called a banana fiber ball. It’s made from banana trees. It’s a marvel. it reauires two days, innovation, creativity. It’s the same words you’re hearing in your business life. Yet it’s all bound in a simple little ball that works. I love it because it works. You know when the game is overb ecause the ball is gone. You want to water prrof it? Stick it in a bag and tie it up! It’s simple, it serves its purpose.
I lvoe to challenge us as adults that we have a capacity for this . We have allowed our creative muscle taatrophy. We odn’t use it in the same way as our childhood. I t could be hours, days, and weeks of play till that thing fell completely apart. You had the capacity and your imagination was boundless. You started letting people put up boundaries to your possibilities. You let people tell you what you are capable of.
You have the ability to emphasize truly amazing things. I lvoe to raise this question
What is your red ruber bal? What inpires you? What is purposeful, passion, and cmmitment? Sometimes I know that adults don’t quite get that. I can talk about an dadult resignation. I tender my eresgination as an adult. I want to bla bla bla…. So here’s my checkbook mykeys etc. Tag you’re it. You can do an adult resignation. It doesn’t work for everyone. I don’t quite get it.
You got to let go of the things that hinder your possibilities. Sometmies we need literal reminders. What I thought I would bring here is some literal reminders. I got a box full of ball here. They’re getting toossed out and they’re getting thrown out. You have to be paying attention. Y ou may get hit in the head. It’s like your dream. They can fall out of anywhere. They can come at you from places and angles you won’t expect. Now I know you people up in the balcony. You did that in High School. Didn’t want to come down help. I can’t help you up there. I’d like to but there are lights and there could be bad things that could happen. Do not put your hands up if you know you can’t catc. The person next to you won’t appreciate that. You were right on camera. Madam you are sitting there in a red skirt. Pursing your hands. This s for you. Can I get a do over?
What happened in the room> Energy ramepd uP! That guy is throwing balls! He’s out f his mind! The people in the back are like “Dang it! I knew I hsould have sat down there! this is what I want you to understand. That’s what your drea requires. It needs that level of attentions. That level of commitment. You need to invest in yourself. You’ve done that. You’ve made an investment by coming hera nd tuining in. That’s what’s magical about life long learniners. they are always trying o find ways to improve upon theirselves. I started this book thing because my best friends mom challenged me. She challengd me to write ab ook about your joureny and there’s another Kevin Carrol that needs to hear your story. I don’t know what I want to do the book about. Just do it by whatever comes to mind.
I want it to be like my favourite book when I was a kid. It was magical. First book I ever checked out at the public library. I had it at nine years old. I still am a card carrying member. That’s the card to possiblities. It’s key that when i started to hink about it I wanted the book to have a big message. This ms my read out loud version. Then I got this idea. I need to get others to tell their stries. Great. Perfect. No Problem. Then I want others to tell their stories.
So I got this idea bout creating a second book about bigger stories. The individuals out there. Wjat’s our Red Rubber Ball. Inside this people get a chance to talk about heir own story.
What’s Your Rd Rubber Ball has that opportunity. It lets you put clarity arond your purpose. It helps you share your dream. That’s what we need to manifest anything into reality. You can’t do it in av accum You can’t do it alnoie.
I got this other diea. “The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play he hardly knows which is which. He pursues his vision of excellence. He is always doing both.” THere have to be people out there who live that quote. So I wrote a book called The Red Ruber Ball at Work. I sought out people who play at their work. They find Jo in what they do. It is in no way work for them. it’s their pasion. It’s their play. These people that I got a chance to Interview, like Malcomb Gladwell, Paula MCcwella. He helped with the iRobot movie. He did that Robot Swarm. his favourite toy as a child. A giant refridge box. Second favourite toy. Legos. I toalked to a chocolatier. I talked to Dwayne Lorroth JOhnson. I talked t o a mico loan developer. They talked about hteir favourite form of play. And ow it influenced their leadershp, their results, their curiousity, and their teamwork. I startd to think about ways to sassit all of you. There’s amazing books out there. One called Play. It looks for empirical research. Scientific American about the serious need for Play. I started to realize that Play has greater purpose than we realize. There are childrens books that are about wonders and eyes of a chld. Not a box. When you have an obstacle or a challenge that you never see it that wya. It was an opportunity. We have challenges and obstacles abounding. We see them as things that hinder our progress or do we see them as opportunities. Great problem solving, abstract thinking, creativity.
Sparks of Interest is another great book. All of the peopl talk about a hobby or application where it made a difference. They interviewed 100 each. The breakthrough came in my hobby. Not in my lab.
We talk about leaders need to be inspirers. They need to get others to believe in that dram. They need to own the dream too. We want to talk more about eamwork straight up. I was going to contact one of the individuals. I met Irene Owl is the director of User Experience. I want to show you a video of my trip to Google. That way you can get inside that amazing search engine.
(Google Video Interview with GOogle Director of User Experience Irene Owl)
11:21 Ver cool. Very impressive. Some take aways. If you were present. She shared some nuggets out there. Women are impacting Technology by injecting Humanity. I’m impressed by how many men are involved in these communities. Now they’re there because “Oh wow, it’s a sports community! I’m there!” You’re ;learning how to communicate in unique ways. Irene pointed out that women are injecting this human part into Technology. Teams, Multi disciplinary. Having many ways and many skills. How are you developing and working on encouring your team To find your skills. She talked about improvisation and story telling. The importance of that. Yes AND . Never using the word But. Ho many have been in a session where it was always But but but. But stops ideas. And builds ideas. It extends the play. All w wanted to do was make sure the game never ended. We would change rules. So no one would take the ball away. We’ll let Johnny do something else, OK OK that’s third base now. You were willin to compromise. Ideastion, brainstorming is about extending the play . You manifest one of those, two of those, three of those. And si the word that allows you to do that.
They love people who can draw. I say everyone is an artist. When you think you can’t draw hten you don’t think you can create. And you’re that person who is sitting begging not to be called upon. This isn’t the time for anyone to be thinking they can’t add to the process. I see a lot of heads nodding. lots of Ya ya. I give out tangible gifts. I have a ift basket. And I have a group that is going to get this. It is well over 20 books and resources. Some I already referred to. I’ve already picked out who is going to get this. The Atlanta Fire and Rescue Departmetn who brought 70 individuaals. Is Kevin Cocklan around> Kevin can you come here please? Yes. I love Whistles! This is for you. You can’t have my lid though. Take thse bonuses ones. These ones that are not wrapped. Ca you take them to the balcony people there. Thank you for what you’ve done. So, I will leave you with this James Mishner Quote.
“The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between whs work and his play his love and his religion. he hardly knows which is which. he simply puruses his vission of excellene and leaves others to decide whether he is working or oplaying. Tho him he is always doing both.”
11:25 Ernie Johnson
We said that you could text Kevin Carrol a question. Here is such a question
“What Can I do as a Leader to Encourage someone who is searching for leadership and direction.”
What you ca do to be that encourageer to be that leader to give direction is first they have to feel empowered. Many tims it can be a simple gift. Maybe it’s the gift of saying I beleve in your vision. I support what you’re doing. You have to be apresent leader. ou have to lead with Empathy. You have to understand there is no ay that ou can be the individual who steps away from us. Not just the good, but the challenging times. Leaders love to show up when things are going wlel. When things are bad you can’t find them anywhere. That’s when leadership is needd even more. In the challenging times. I fyou can get the individual to recognize that. One beautiful gift is the Precious Present. It’s a symbol he gives. It’s a parable that talks about living in the moment and being present. It requires you to be disciplined enough to be in the Present.
Rules of the Red Rubbe Ball, Rediscoveringplay, on sale at various sites Always a pleasure.