The Inner Game of Creative Leadership

Jul 1, 2025

Klaus Kleinfeld, former CEO of Alcoa and Siemens, shares his expertise on integrating personal and professional life for sustainable success. Eric Liedtke, former brand president at Adidas, discusses his journey towards aligning brand values with sustainability. They explore the subtle nature of leadership drift and emphasize the importance of self-awareness. The conversation delves into balancing ambition with well-being and the transformative impact of small, intentional actions in driving change, especially in the fashion industry.

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INSIGHT

The Danger of Leadership Drift

Leadership drift happens gradually and subtly, often feeling like progress.
Without anchoring to core values, leaders may find their success hollow inside.

INSIGHT

Inner vs Outer Game of Leadership

The inner game of leadership is about self-awareness and managing your mental energy.
The outer game is how you express your inner game in actions and leadership impact.

INSIGHT

Energy Management vs Time Management

Managing energy, not just time, transforms sustainable high performance.
Life is better seen as cycles of sprints and rest, not an ultra marathon.

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In this episode of Daily Creative, we dive into the heart of what it means to be a purposeful leader—both in our creative work and our lives. We explore how easy it is to drift away from our core motivations as we advance in our careers, and what it really takes to stay anchored to what matters most.

We’re joined by Klaus Kleinfeld, the only Fortune 500 CEO to have led two companies on different continents and author of Leading To Thrive, and Eric Liedtke, former brand president at Adidas and current brand leader at Under Armour and Unless Collective. Together, they share powerful stories about leadership, self-awareness, and navigating the internal and external games of success.

We explore themes like managing energy (not just time), the critical importance of integrating our personal and professional selves, and how true change starts from within. From a CEO who redefined performance to a creative leader who risked it all to align with his values, this episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone who wants to lead with soul and purpose.

Five Key Learnings from This Episode:

Leadership Drift Is Subtle: Progress in your career can often feel like success, but without anchoring to your core values, you may end up far from the person or leader you intended to be.
Inner and Outer Games Matter: Success isn’t just about external achievements—the “outer game”—but also about understanding who you are, what you want, and managing your energy (“inner game”) to have sustainable impact.
Energy, Not Just Time, Is Key: True high performance comes from managing and recharging your energy, not just filling your calendar. Micro-habits and rest are not signs of weakness but essential for sustained creativity and leadership.
Integration, Not Balance: We’re not meant to keep work and life in separate silos. Thriving as leaders means integrating our professional ambitions with our deeper personal values.
Purpose Fuels Action: Checking in with yourself about your true motivations isn’t just self-care—it shapes your decisions, your team’s culture, and your overall impact, whether you’re leading a Fortune 500 company or launching a mission-driven startup.

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