“So if your primary goal is to have a fully worked out, set-in-stone plan, you are only upping your chances of being… — Ed Catmull Goals Copy Share Image
“Our mental models aren’t reality. They are tools, like the models weather forecasters use to predict the weather.” — Ed Catmull Psychology Copy Share Image
“When downsides coexist with upsides, as they often do, people are reluctant to explore what’s bugging them, for fear of being labeled… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“most of us do not realize that we distort our own view of the world, largely because we think we see more… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Which meant that the people working on Up had to be able to roll with that evolution without panicking, shutting down, or… — Ed Catmull Biology Copy Share Image
“You needed to show your people that you meant it when you said that while efficiency was a goal, quality was the… — Ed Catmull Excellence Copy Share Image
“Getting the right people and the right chemistry is more important than getting the right idea.” — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Once you master any system, you typically become blind to its flaws; even if you can see them, they appear far too… — Ed Catmull Flaws Copy Share Image
“If we allow more people to solve problems without permission, and if we tolerate (and don’t vilify) their mistakes, then we enable… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Even though copying what’s come before is a guaranteed path to mediocrity, it appears to be a safe choice, and the desire… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Telling the truth is difficult, but inside a creative company, it is the only way to ensure excellence. It is the job… — Ed Catmull Business Copy Share Image
“People talking directly to one another, then letting the manager find out later, was more efficient than trying to make sure that… — Ed Catmull Management Copy Share Image
“We become so caught up in our big problems that we ignore the little ones, failing to realize that some of our… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“My rule of thumb is that any time we impose limits or procedures, we should ask how they will aid in enabling… — Ed Catmull Limits Copy Share Image
“As Lee Unkrich says, “We had done the impossible. We had done the thing that everyone told us we couldn’t do. And… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“To ensure quality, then, excellence must be an earned word, attributed by others to us, not proclaimed by us about ourselves. It… — Ed Catmull Excellence Copy Share Image
“DISCUSSING FAILURE AND all its ripple effects is not merely an academic exercise. We face it because by seeking better understanding, we… — Ed Catmull Failure Copy Share Image
“I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but… — Ed Catmull Best man Copy Share Image
“if not anyone else—that what we’d created at Pixar could work outside of Pixar. Both the run-up to the acquisition and its… — Ed Catmull Disney Copy Share Image
“It simply doesn’t occur to them that after they get promoted to a leadership position, no one is going to come out… — Ed Catmull Leader Copy Share Image
“Even though copying what’s come before is a guaranteed path to mediocrity, it appears to be a safe choice, and the desire… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“In the very early days of Pixar, John, Andrew, Pete, Lee, and Joe made a promise to one another. No matter what… — Ed Catmull Constructive criticism Copy Share Image
“If we can agree that it’s hard, if not impossible, to get a complete picture of what is going on at any… — Ed Catmull Business Copy Share Image
“The other principle we depended on was “Trust the Process.” We liked this one because it was so reassuring: While there are… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“But when it comes to creativity, the unknown is not our enemy. If we make room for it instead of shunning it,… — Ed Catmull Creativity Copy Share Image
“Despite good intentions, the result is troubling: Feeding the Beast becomes the central focus.” — Ed Catmull Animals Copy Share Image
“What is the point of hiring smart people, we asked, if you don’t empower them to fix what’s broken?” — Ed Catmull Intelligence Copy Share Image
“If there are people in your organization who feel they are not free to suggest ideas, you lose.” — Ed Catmull Ideas Copy Share Image
“This was a critical decision that was not obvious to most people. Most people assumed that Pixar would do 3D movies and… — Ed Catmull Disney Copy Share Image
“So when problems arise—and they always do—disentangling them is not as simple as correcting the original error. Often, finding a solution is… — Ed Catmull Problem solving Copy Share Image
“Failure isn’t a necessary evil. In fact, it isn’t evil at all. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new.” — Ed Catmull Failure Copy Share Image
“Making the process better, easier, and cheaper is an important aspiration, something we continually work on—but it is not the goal. Making… — Ed Catmull Dreams Copy Share Image
“THERE IS NOTHING quite like ignorance combined with a driving need to succeed to force rapid learning.” — Ed Catmull Ignorance Copy Share Image
“When it comes to creative endeavors, the concept of zero failures is worse than useless. It is counterproductive. To” — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Here are the qualifications required: The people you choose must (a) make you think smarter and (b) put lots of solutions on… — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know… — Ed Catmull Leadership Copy Share Image
“My belief is that good leadership can help creative people stay on the path to excellence no matter what business they’re in.” — Ed Catmull Business Copy Share Image
“The first principle was “Story Is King,” by which we meant that we would let nothing—not the technology, not the merchandising possibilities—get… — Ed Catmull Principle Copy Share Image
“They had to offer feedback when needed but also had to be willing to stand back and give us room.” — Ed Catmull Copy Share Image
“when our younger employees—those without families—work longer hours than those who are parents, we must be mindful not to compare the output… — Ed Catmull Parenting Copy Share Image
