

562: Award-winning Author on How to Achieve Creative Velocity in the Age of GenAI
Jun 23, 2025
Leslie Grandy, a former executive at Apple, Amazon, and other tech giants, discusses the hidden power of creativity in leadership roles. She shares her journey from the film industry to tech, emphasizing adaptability and resilience. Grandy highlights three key skills for fostering creativity: enduring ambiguity, sustaining momentum, and resourceful problem-solving. She warns against consensus-driven thinking and encourages cultures that embrace risk-taking. Additionally, she offers insights on utilizing AI as a creative partner and the importance of authenticity in innovative environments.
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Pivot from Film to Tech
- Leslie Grandy transitioned from the film industry to tech via an internship that utilized her film skills in a tech startup.
- This pivot happened organically through leveraging unique skills and finding the right opportunity.
Key Creative Skills from Film
- Grit, flexibility, and confidence in problem-solving are key creative skills learned from Leslie's film career.
- These skills positioned her well for ambiguous, zero-to-one product challenges in tech.
Steve Jobs and Brand Discipline
- Steve Jobs valued clear brand messaging and decisiveness, rejecting things off-brand immediately, like engraving suggestions on iPods.
- Even small brand inconsistencies were swiftly corrected to preserve Apple's narrative clarity.