Fearless Creative Leadership

This episode is our ninth of Season 2 - which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In The Time Of Virus”. In these conversations we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality. These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Emma Cookson, a partner at You & Mr Jones which describes itself as the 'world's first Brandtech group' working to disrupt the world of traditional marketing and advertising. Before that, Emma was the chairman of BBH New York. She’s one of the clearest thinkers that I know. Emma talked about the need to focus on the important, not just the urgent, about assigning different groups to look at distinctive time horizons, and about the opportunity to forge more respectful relationships.

This episode is our eighth of Season 2 - which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In The Time Of Virus”. In these conversations we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Greg Hahn, until recently the Creative Vice Chairman of BBDO Worldwide, and the Chief Creative Officer of BBDO New York.  A few days ago, Greg was let go by BBDO. He is not the first leader to lose their job as a result of the pandemic, and he will not be the last. Within the advertising world, however, this was a significant moment as the industry struggles to redefine itself. Greg talked about the shock of getting fired, about how he unlocks creativity in others and about how he’s looking at the future. 

This episode is our seventh of Season 2 - which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In The Time Of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with David Lee, the Chief Creative Officer of Squarespace. David talked about the importance of creating opportunities for spontaneity, about getting away from a meeting culture, and about where ideas come from. 

This episode is our sixth of Season 2, which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In The Time Of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This is a conversation with Jonathan Mildenhall, the founder of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and the former CMO of AirBNB. Jonathan talked about the enormous difficulties of navigating a young business through these extraordinary times, about how brands need to come together to be relevant in the new society, and about why leaders need to take care of themselves as well as everyone else.

This episode is our fifth of Season 2, which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In the Time of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Susan Credle, the Global Chief Creative Officer of FCB. Susan is not only one of the most creative thinkers that I know, she also has a rare ability to create practices that unlock creativity across diverse clients and multiple offices and cultures. Susan talks about why she sees people taking more chances, about the importance of setting some structure to each day and about why a generous mindset matters more than ever.

This episode is our fourth of Season 2, which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In the Time of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Brad Hiranaga of General Mills - one of the most human leaders I know. Brad talks about casting the right personalities as well as the right skills in a virtual office, about the need to take time to connect with people on a personal level and about how companies will evolve if they’re to become part of the new society that is already being formed. Here’s Brad Hiranaga.

This episode is our third of Season 2 - shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Nils Leonard - co-founder of Uncommon - and one of the most thoughtful and original leaders I know. Nils describes the role of leaders in moments like this as dealers in hope. We also talked about recognizing the energy that different people bring and tapping into that. About the benefit of giving people time to focus. About what’s going to happen to society’s complacency. And why, to quote Virginia Wolf, “you can’t find peace by avoiding life”.

This episode is our second of Season 2, which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In the Time of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers.  This episode is a conversation with Mindy Grossman - the CEO of WW - formerly Weight Watchers. Mindy is one of the clearest, and most effective leaders I’ve ever met.  We talked about hiring for culture, about practicing offense versus defense in times of crisis and about empowering other people to lead.

With this episode, we’re launching season 2 - which we’ve sub-titled, “Leading In the Time of Virus”. These are shorter, focused conversations in which we discover how some of the world’s most innovative and creative leaders are adapting their leadership to our new reality.  These people are among the world’s best problem solvers. And that’s exactly what we need right now. This episode is a conversation with Karim Bartoletti who is living in Milan at the epicenter of the region hardest hit by the virus so far. Karim is a partner in Indiana Production - a multimedia production company. 

"The Questioning Leader".   Madeleine has been the Director of The MCA Chicago for 12 years. She thinks about art and its role in society four-dimensionally. She thinks about museums the same way. In the last two weeks, some of our conversation will feel like it is from another era. Because it is. But regardless of how much we flatten the curve or don’t, a new society will form out of the one we are leaving behind.  It is the way of human beings to evolve and adapt. And art and museums will be both a provocation for and a reflection of the decisions we make. Every decision has consequences. It’s important to worry about the intended ones. But the unintended ones matter just as much.  And sometimes more.