Sidebar Speaker Series: Playing to Get Unstuck: The Science of Solving Hard Problems with Elaine Chung

​What if the key to solving your toughest problems isn’t working harder, but playing smarter? Research shows that play activates the parts of the brain responsible for creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving. In this talk, the audience will learn how a playful mindset helps leaders and teams break through roadblocks, spark new ideas, and move from stuck to solution with greater ease and energy.

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​Speaker Bio:

​Elaine Chung is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of The Illusion of Authenticity. Her work challenges the belief that effective leadership comes from simply working harder or leading with unchecked vulnerability. Instead, Elaine helps leaders align their identity, mindset, and behavior so they can lead with clarity, courage, and connection.

​Drawing on organizational behavior research, the neuroscience of play, and her experience building teams, Elaine shows how a playful mindset unlocks creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving. She helps leaders and teams move past overthinking and inertia by reintroducing the curiosity, resilience, and ease with failure that come naturally to children, applied intentionally in adult work environments.

​Elaine has partnered with organizations including Nike, Sony, PBS, and the U.S. Navy’s NavalX to help leaders break through roadblocks, spark new ideas, and build cultures where people feel energized to do their best work.