Short design thinking, long creative leadership.
As the world is in turmoil, we also find the profound opportunity to rethink the way we lead into the future.
No. 6 comes very quickly at the heals of number five courtesy to me doubting if I should send the last newsletter in the first place. Welcome to the creative brain. (Side note: Years ago, I wrote about creative self doubt. Probably worth a revisit)
Anyways, today’s newsletter starts what will probably end up being some sort of a series where I’m planning on sharing my contemplations on creative leadership as a necessary skillset for future business leaders. As I say below, I believe “There will be no successful business in the 21st century that won’t be led by a creative leader.”
We’re finding ourselves at what feels like a pivotal point where we’re not just experiencing a democratization and commoditization of technology (ubiquitous computing and generative AI) that puts into questions a wide-range of previously manual jobs and the connected value creation. But this also happens parallel to major socio-economic shifts coming at the heal of the pandemic that humanity has just lived through.
From a business leadership perspective it’s clear that the old playbook won’t work for much longer. So, what’s next? Where do we go from here? And which skills do we need to not only survive but thrive? Both as humans and business.
I won’t pretend to have any answers (yet) but these are the questions I’m pondering and the conversations I’m enjoying to have with friends, colleagues and industry peers as we collectively on this journey together. If we want it or not.
Here’s to enjoying the ride!
And as always, thank you for reading. Please let me know which of these thoughts resonate with you, what you’d like to read more of or send any ideas, questions, and feedback my way via email or the comments.
We can’t solve the challenges and problems of tomorrow with thinking that got us here in the first place.
As the world is in turmoil, new ideas, approaches, and paths to the goal are necessary. And there lies a profound optimism in human ingenuity and the act of creation to build a future world we envision to live in as individuals and a collective.
I was talking to Gordon and the Design Executive Council (DXC) board the other week about the need for creative leadership in times technological and socio-economic paradigm shifts. That, in turn, reminded me of a conversation I had with my colleague Prof. Derek Lidow (who’s written excellent books on entrepreneurship) about the creative nature of entrepreneurial leaders that’s so fundamentally different from the business-school educated managerial leaders. Mainly because most business-school teaching is still rooted in sequential thinking and execution that’s been driving economic growth ever since the advent of the Industrial Revolution.
All that said: I believe we’re embarking into an age where human ingenuity is required and holds the key to create a new, better world that’s risen from the socio-economic, technological and environmental challenges we face today. If nothing else, it’s imperative for our children and future generations that we genuinely try.
And that requires us to lean into entirely new skillsets, methods of teaching, and the goal to train creative leaders that can operate effectively at the intersection of invention and business.
As I’m pondering, I’ll be sharing more of both my research and thinking as it concretizes.
For today, here’s an excerpt from my notes that I shared with my leadership teams both at Microsoft and SAP:
From my notes: On Creative Leadership
Creative leadership says “hell yes!” into the face of ambiguity and uncertainty. Because creativity thrives within constraints. And creative leaders feel confident (enough) to lean into the unknown, deeply trusting into the ability of their team and collective creative energy to find solutions. Even and especially when those solutions aren’t obvious. There will be no successful business in the 21st century that won’t be led by a creative leader.
Creative leadership is the foundation of resilient organizations. Most importantly, creative leadership is the best tool companies have to attract, develop and retain talent. Because creative leadership doesn’t try to squeeze the last bit of so called productivity out of people. But instead asks the holistic question of which conditions need to exist to take care of the whole human and empower people to do their best work with integrity, joy and a sense of fulfilling purpose.
3 Inspirations
No AI today, instead a few links to reads and videos that inform my current thinking around the future we want to build.
This documentary on The New Bauhaus seems more relevant today than ever.
Stripe’s annual founders letter is a exceptional as ever, and full of great insight.
The Eurasia Group’s annual Top Risks 2024 report.
You made it. Thank you!
Kudos to you for making it all the way to the end. Since this is all new to me, please share your feedback, questions or any topics you’d like me to touch on.
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