Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Helping People Win at Work says, “the book details how this playful organization provides a working environment that encourages imagination,inventiveness, and joyful collaboration. If you dream of creating a more positive climate in your company,this book might just make your dreams come true.”

Pixar is synonymous with creativity, magical stories, and unforgettable characters, from Buzz Lightyear and Remy the Rat to Mike Wazowski, Nemo, and Wall-E. Behind the fun, however, is a set of deeply routed core values that champion excellence, tap innovation, and encourage collaboration. These are the starting points for pushing your own team or organization to unleash Pixar-style creativity and brilliance.

In Pixar’s own words, their “objective is to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heartwarming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.” The Academy Award-winning animation studio, founded by President Ed Catmull and computer graphics technology pioneer Alvy Ray Smith, has grown incrementally since the release of its landmark feature film, Toy Story. Its films dominate global box offices, and entertain young and old alike with a signature brand of humor, technological advances, and artistry. Modeled upon Walt Disney’s legendary studio of the 1930s, Pixar fittingly became part of the Walt Disney Company in 2006.

INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY: Business Lessons from the World’s Most Creative Corporate Playground (McGraw-Hill Professional; December, 2009; HC, $21.95), written by the authors of The Disney Way, deconstructs the elements of Pixar’s success. How does the company repeatedly catch lightning in a bottle? It begins with the story. While Pixar’s story is about bringing the highest levels of talent to the animation process and creating feature films to stand the test of time, your company, too, has a unique narrative. Visualizing it, shaping it, and connecting to it, are the primary keys to success. Whether you’re selling shoelaces, running a startup, or a major animation studio, the story is the key.

While the company places a premium on quality, it also deliberately encourages a playground atmosphere. The energy, joy, and humor of each Pixar film can also be found at the company’s headquarters in Emeryville, CA. One of the company’s magic bullets is Pixar University (PU), which offers over 100 classes in all facets of animation, from creative writing, sculpture, sketching, improv, and lighting, to motion picture capture. PU classes are woven into the workday; whether a marketer, animator, accountant, janitor, or technical director, all are encouraged to participate for up to four hours a week. Pixar continually seeks to unearth hidden talents within the organization, and is one of the biggest secrets to their success. Creating a tight-knit, collaborative, thoughtful, and playful atmosphere, Pixar’s dedicated team turns the Hollywood – and by extension, corporate – model on its head.

Pixar is a prime example of a business smartly growing innovative talent and ideas across all levels of employees and backgrounds. Behind the company’s success is the story of its unique approach to excellence and cultivating creativity, bred from the top down. INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY helps readers discover their own roadmaps for unleashing a creative organization.