Ed Catmull: Pixar Co-Founder on Creative Leadership & Innovation
In this episode of 'The Wisdom Of' Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios. With five Academy Awards® including an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement and the prestigious Turing Award for his work in computer graphics, Ed shares profound insights on creative leadership, innovation, and building world-class organizations. From pioneering 3D animation to leading the creation of beloved films that have grossed over $14 billion worldwide, Ed's journey offers valuable lessons on fostering creativity, navigating change, and building sustainable success.
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Episode Breakdown
00:00 Introduction and Ed's pioneering journey in animation
05:18 Merging art and science: The power of interdisciplinary thinking
12:36 Company culture and collective ownership beyond shares
18:52 The inversion of business values: Product, People, Profit
25:44 Navigating change and innovation in fast-evolving industries
33:29 Pixar's 5-step decision-making framework for creative excellence
38:22 Truth-finding mechanisms in organizations
45:36 The CEO's role in facilitating collaborative genius
52:12 Shifting from achievement to effectiveness: "Is this working?"
58:43 Future implications and conclusions
Key Insights
- Why combining seemingly incongruous disciplines (science, art, math) creates richer innovation
- How most businesses conflate collective ownership with shares or control, missing true ownership
- The dangerous mismatch between stated values and actual priorities in business decision-making
- Why understanding the accelerating rate of change is fundamental to business survival
- The 5-step framework Pixar uses to make all critical creative decisions
- Why most CEOs incorrectly believe they have effective error detection mechanisms
- How shifting focus from "What am I achieving?" to "Is this working?" transforms leadership
- The CEO's role in fostering collaboration rather than providing all the answers
- Why judging the creation, not the creator, is essential for innovation
About Ed Catmull
Ed Catmull is a pioneer in computer graphics and animation who co-founded Pixar Animation Studios. Under his leadership, Pixar produced groundbreaking animated films including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and many more. After Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, Ed served as President of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, overseeing hits like Frozen, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph.
His numerous accolades include five Academy Awards®, the Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery, and the prestigious Gordon E. Sawyer Award for lifetime contributions to computer graphics in film. Ed's book "Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration" is considered essential reading on creative leadership.
With a Ph.D. in computer science and an initial passion for animation that led him through physics to pioneering computer graphics, Ed's career exemplifies the power of combining art and science to create revolutionary innovation.
Connect with Ed Catmull
About Simon Bowen
Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.
Connect with Simon
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/
- Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/
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