Fixed by Amy E. Herman

FIXED is a stimulating new book by Amy E. Herman, a self-described “leadership consultant who has crisscrossed the globe for eighteen years teaching professional development courses to everyone from Silicon Valley executives to Navy Seals.” She decided to explore creativity and the work of artists “from conceptualization to actualization, while facing obstacles from deadlines to a death of resources including money, materials, and motivation” in order to craft a text outlining the problem-solving process. Herman’s book is divided into three sections (Prep, Draft and Exhibit) which encourages the use of open eyes, open minds, and the universal language of art. In just the first few pages, she uses portraits of three US Presidents to memorably illustrate the meaning of bias. Next, she discusses the importance of self-awareness, noting studies from the Hay Group (only 4% of executives were considered truly self-aware) and the University of Kansas (that our desire for similarity and selective truth-seeking is a hardwired psychological default). Herman’s emphasis on visual intelligence will be of interest across disciplines.  I am looking forward to spending more time with her text and the many exercises she advocates.