Stephen Shapiro

Paperback or Hardcover? Dust Jacket or Case Laminate?

Stephen Shapiro — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:42:44 +0000

QUESTION: Paperback or hardcover?

I just received the proof for the hardcover edition of “You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck.”

It looks great. This version does not have a dust jacket. The artwork is printed directly on the cover, which is called case laminate.

My previous books were all hardcovers with dust jackets. This book started as a paperback, but for clients and special orders, I wondered if the paperback might feel a little too flimsy. Not quite substantial enough.

So I’d love your opinion.

When you buy or receive a business book, which do you prefer?

Paperback
Hardcover with dust jacket
Hardcover without dust jacket, case laminate

I know there are other options, like clothbound or leather, but for now I’m deciding between these three.

Thanks!

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Why Smart Teams Still Fail (podcast)

Stephen Shapiro — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:00:15 +0000

Having smart people isn’t enough in today’s hyper-speed market.

In fact, it can be the problem.

I once led a $30M innovation project at Accenture that failed, not because of a lack of talent, but because everyone thought the same way.

No contrast. No tension. No breakthroughs.

That failure led to a simple idea built around a familiar metaphor: a deck of cards.

Four suits. Four thinking styles. Four roles in the innovation process.

Not everyone thinks the same way, and that’s the point.

In my conversation with Andy Kaufman, we explored:

Why unanimous agreement is a warning sign
How strengths can become liabilities when overused
Why the people who drive you crazy may be the ones you need most

If you want stronger collaboration and better results, you need to play with a full deck – and listen to this podcast episode.

Listen to the podcast here.

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Opposuits Don’t Attract

Stephen Shapiro — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:00:05 +0000

As you probably know, I have a fun card game called Personality Poker and a book called You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck.

When I give speeches, I sometimes wear a very cool shirt or sports coat. You can see the coat in this picture.

My sports coat doesn’t just have cool playing cards on the outside. Maybe this makes it a “suit” jacket.

The lining has some very appropriate features.

The lining is purple, which aligns perfectly with my brand.

But more interesting is the brand name: OPPOSUITS.

In Personality Poker, I talk about how “opposites don’t attract.”

But it would be more accurate to say, “opposite suits don’t attract.”

Or better yet, “opposuits don’t attract.”

I wish I had thought of using this brand when I first created Personality Poker in 2005. The clothing line wasn’t formed until 2012. Oh well.

P.S. The image of me has been AI-enhanced to put me in a casino. I thought that would be more fun.

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Between the Lines on PBS

Stephen Shapiro — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:57 +0000

My second book, Goal-Free Living, was published in 2006.

Not long after, I had the chance to appear on the PBS television show, Between the Lines with Barry Kibrick.

Barry is one of the best interviewers out there. Over the years, he’s sat down with incredible minds like Ron Howard, Ed Asner, Ridley Scott, Robert Greene, Walter Isaacson, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, among many others.

I was fortunate to be one of his guests. I hadn’t seen this interview in nearly two decades, until now. Barry recently shared it on his YouTube channel

I hope you enjoy it.

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Hardcover Now Available

Stephen Shapiro — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:04:00 +0000

When I first released You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck, I intended it only to be available as a paperback.

The hardcover was going to be reserved for special clients.

But I had quite a few people request the hardcover, so I decided to make it available on Amazon.

Get your copy today!

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Burnout is your personality filing a complaint

Stephen Shapiro — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:38:42 +0000

You can learn almost anything if you try hard enough.

But true strong suits give you energy; learned traits drain you.

Natural Traits: You were born with them. They feel easy and energize you.

Learned Traits: Picked up along the way to survive a role. You might be great at them, but they exhaust you.

Aspirational Traits: The version of yourself you hope to project.

From You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck: Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage. Available now.
Graphic created by NotebookLM using Chapter 2 of the book’s manuscript as a reference.

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You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck NOW AVAILABLE!

Stephen Shapiro — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:00:15 +0000

Three decades ago, I started studying what makes teams and organizations more innovative. This was while I was leading a 20,000-person process and innovation practice at the consulting firm Accenture.

Two decades ago, I created the Personality Poker system as a way of creating high-performing innovation teams.

Fifteen years ago, Portfolio Penguin published the Personality Poker book.

And today, I am thrilled to formally launch my latest book: You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck: Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage.

Unlike the Personality Poker book, which focused heavily on personalities, the new book addresses the all-important topic of culture.

How do organizations grow and adapt by bringing in divergent perspectives in a systematic way?

The book covers topics such as:

The innovation process and how to match people to the right roles
Creating environments where all styles can thrive (it’s not how you most likely do it today!)
Why meetings have personalities and how to design for them
Intentionally developing cultures where collaboration is the norm and silos are broken down

It is a fast and fun read.

It is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and other platforms for the ebook. And you can get the paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and many more places.

Learn more and get your copy here.

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No More Mondays Podcast

Stephen Shapiro — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:05:13 +0000

This was a FUN interview with Angie Marasco Callen!

Here’s the session description:

Explore how leaders can innovate effectively in an unpredictable world with Stephen Shapiro. This episode dives into why copying best practices fails, how to leverage human uniqueness against automation, and the power of diverse team dynamics.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction to Stephen Shapiro
2:50 Why “Best Practices Are Stupid”
5:40 The human advantage in an AI-driven world
8:30 The “Full Deck” metaphor and embracing differences
12:00 How diverse teams foster innovation
17:20 Leadership in uncertainty: asking better questions
22:30 Reframing problems to drive real solutions
27:00 Creativity vs. innovation explained
31:00 The future of work and staying human

Learn practical tools to lead with intention and adapt in fast-changing environments.

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Take Our “Why Does This Person Drive Me Crazy?” QUIZ

Stephen Shapiro — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:44:18 +0000

That person who drives you nuts? They’re the ace up your sleeve.

We like to be with people who are similar to us. So we hire people who fit the mold.

But here’s the problem: When everyone fits the mold, your organization grows mold. You get stale thinking. Safe ideas. No breakthroughs.

The perspectives you avoid — the colleagues who make you cringe, the ideas that sound crazy — are the missing cards you need most. And ignoring them is costing you.

Take the quiz below to find out why someone is driving you crazy, and why you need them on your team.

Based on the book You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck: Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage by Stephen Shapiro.

Why Does This Person Drive You Crazy? — Personality Poker

Personality Poker

Why does this person drive you crazy?

You'll pick five cards that describe you, then five that describe the person driving you crazy. We'll reveal exactly why tension exists — and why it might be your unfair advantage.

Round 1 of 2

Pick 5 cards that describe you

Choose the words that feel most true.

Pick 5 cards

Round 2 of 2

Now pick 5 cards for them

The person driving you crazy right now.

Pick 5 cards

You

Them

Why the tension

But here's what you're missing

Your next step

Turn this tension into your team's edge.

This quiz gives you a glimpse. The book gives you the full playbook — how to stop managing around difference and start winning because of it.

Get the book →

Want a deeper read on your own cognitive style? Take the full Personality Poker assessment →

Copied. Paste it anywhere.

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What I Learned from Creating 100+ Cover Concepts

Stephen Shapiro — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:41:02 +0000

Six months ago, I started designing the cover for my 8th book, and my first self-published one.

In the past, my publisher handled the cover and I simply approved it. This time, every decision was mine.

The book is called You’re Not Playing with a Full Deck. It’s a business book on innovation, collaboration, and culture, built around my Personality Poker card game. The cover had to do two things at once: signal serious business, and still feel playful.

In total, we explored over 100 variations.

At first, I created my own concepts using the Personality Poker cards, and even changed the title a few times. The feedback was, politely, underwhelming. They were fun, but did not scream, “Hey, this is a business book.”

Next, I ran a quick experiment and hired a low-cost designer I’d worked with before. For $25, it felt worth seeing what they’d do with minimal guidance. They created the left-most image. I liked the fonts, but the puzzle piece metaphor felt wrong for this book. I tried building from their idea, but the variations still didn’t capture the spirit. Too dark, and not playful enough.

So I hired a well-respected, and expensive, cover designer. He delivered five strong concepts.

Then I did what most authors do: I asked colleagues and clients which one they liked best.

Testing designs with the market is usually a good idea. But unfortunately, no one agreed.

People were passionate, but in opposite directions. Some loved the left-most concept for its simplicity and readability; others found it boring. Some loved the right-most concept because it was clever, while others said it looked messy and unprofessional.

Not knowing which way to turn, I hired an independent book cover reviewer. He delivered a nine-page audit, analyzing each concept and recommending a direction. It helped me get clearer on fonts and color palette.

But it still didn’t solve the core issue. None of the imagery felt right.

Then the breakthrough showed up at 3 a.m.

One night, I woke up with an idea: an ace up the sleeve.

I loved it instantly because the phrase already carries the meaning I want, a hidden advantage that helps you win.

From there, I explored dozens of ace up the sleeve variations, including rapid prototyping with AI. Once I had a concept that felt right, I handed it to the designer to turn into something real and polished.

Along the way, we refined a lot. Lighter background, fewer confusing elements, switching to four aces, replacing the callout with a poker chip, making the hand a bit messier, and adjusting the purple so it pops.

You’ll also notice that both the title and subtitle evolved with the cover. In the end, the subtitle became, Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage. I’m using the phrase ace up your sleeve on the back cover to tie it all together.

The cover on the right is the final one.

Here are the lessons I’m taking with me.

Work with true professionals. My self-designed cover would have been a failure, and the bargain version would have topped out at fine.
Don’t rely on the crowd to decide. Most people choose based on personal taste, not what actually makes someone pick up and buy a book.
If you’re stuck, bring in an independent expert. Even with a great designer, you still have to choose.
Keep going past good. The ace up the sleeve idea changed everything.
Use AI as a rapid prototyping tool. It helped me explore directions fast, then hand the best one to a human designer.
Be flexible. Sometimes the cover drives the subtitle, sometimes the subtitle drives the cover.
If you’re working on a cover right now, what’s been the hardest part for you?

I hope my experience will be of some help to others.

Thank you to everyone who gave their input during the process!

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