Herding Tigers Bonus Episode! Optimizing: You're Probably Playing Different Games at the Same Table

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May 2, 2026

A look at why team friction often comes from different people optimizing for different things. Short examples show drivers like stability, recognition, autonomy, craft, efficiency, income, comfort, and meaning. Practical ideas encourage naming your own priorities and surfacing hidden motivations so tensions become intentional and productive.

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ANECDOTE

Events Prompted The Idea About Optimization

Todd Henry recounts speaking at Adobe Summit, World at Work, and an event with On, which prompted reflection on optimization.
Those varied audiences revealed how impossible leading teams is without knowing what people optimize for.

INSIGHT

Different People Play Different Games

Organizational friction often comes from people optimizing for different outcomes rather than personality conflict.
Todd Henry frames this as people "playing different games at the same table," each keeping score differently which causes invisible tension.

INSIGHT

Common Optimization Drivers Explained

Team members optimize for diverse drivers like stability, recognition, autonomy, craft, efficiency, income, comfort, or meaning.
Todd Henry gives concrete examples: one resists change for stability, another chases high-profile work for recognition, another needs space for autonomy.

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In this surprise revival of the Herding Tigers Podcast, we kick off a new direction with an exploration of what it means to "optimize" as leaders. We discuss the invisible drivers that cause organizational tension, challenging the idea that conflict always comes from personality clashes or miscommunication. Instead, we unpack the reality that everyone—ourselves included—is optimizing for something different, whether it’s stability, recognition, autonomy, craft, efficiency, or meaning.

We share real-world examples from recent events and provide a practical framework for understanding and talking about these optimization goals with our teams. The episode highlights why acknowledging these differences is essential for effective leadership, how to surface hidden motivations, and why conscious tension leads to better outcomes than underground misalignment.

Five Key Learnings

Everyone on your team is optimizing for something—stability, recognition, autonomy, craft, efficiency, income, comfort, or meaning—and not always the same thing.
The unseen tension in organizations often stems from people “playing different games at the same table,” keeping score in different ways.
None of the motivations or optimization goals are wrong; diverse goals can create necessary, creative tension when acknowledged openly.
As leaders, it’s vital to name our own optimization drivers, get curious about those of others, and foster team conversations about what each person is optimizing for.
The goal isn’t to demand uniformity, but to make tensions conscious and productive—this balanced diversity ultimately improves the team’s performance.

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Listen to the Herding Tigers Podcast

Leading creative people is one of the hardest jobs in any organization. Bestselling author Todd Henry (Herding Tigers, The Accidental Creative, and others) brings you practical strategies for creative leadership — from managing creative teams and building a culture of innovation, to helping your people stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy. Each episode delivers actionable insights on workplace creativity, team productivity, and what it really takes to unleash the full potential of the talented people around you. If you lead creative pros, or are one, this is your show. Visit HerdingTigers.me to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.